Cruel Irony
by DaisyTango28
Summary: In a losing battle with the Kyuubi, Naruto departs from Konoha, leaving behind everything he's ever known. When fate brings him back two years later, he must choose between the life he thinks he needs, and the life he knows he wants. SasuNaru
1. Cruel Irony: Prologue

_**Cruel:**__ [adjective] "Willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others."_

_**Irony**__**:**__ [noun, plural] "An outcome of events contrary to what was expected."_

Prologue:

A feral Naruto snarled as his claws tore at the earth below him. He wasn't aware of much except the screams of the people around him. Everything was tainted in red as if he were looking through a red stained-glass window.

He had given the Kyuubi an inch of freedom, and the Kyuubi had used that opportunity to completely and unstoppably dominate every fiber of Naruto's being. For the next hour, he would tear and rage against everything that he could see; the worst part being that he didn't even realize it.

He remembered waking up to the feeling of rain hitting his eyelids. He looked around and noted the pink water running down his arms and legs. He saw blood everywhere and grimaced; not knowing if it was his own or someone else's.

On shaky legs, he got up and looked around groggily, having no clue as to what had just happened. To his shock, he saw four thick slash marks marring the torso of a nameless shinobi lying dead at his feet.

_"Did I...?"_ He thought in morbid disbelief.

He stumbled backwards, noting that the thing he tripped over was the torn body of another man whose eyes were set wide with terror, but void of any life. He looked around and saw the mangled bodies of severel missing-nin; all victims of the overkill of the world's most ruthless beast, the Nine-tailed demon fox.

He looked down at his trembling hands. He could see the dried blood under his fingernails and he could feel the flesh peeling off from where it had been burned by the Kyuubi's chakra. It was at this moment that Naruto understood what had happened and everything it implied.

He had lost control. Badly.

It resulted in the death of five men whom Naruto only meant to injure, and not mercilessly kill. The heavy, wet scent of blood fogged his senses.

It wasn't the people he killed that terrorized Naruto; it was the fact that he had completely destroyed them without ever even knowing he had. He may have known that these worthless missing-nin deserved death, but in the Kyuubi's eyes, death was fair and acceptable for anyone. To the Kyuubi, death knew no boundaries and it meant the same thing to everyone and everything. Naruto realized that these men might as well have been his friends. He would have never known.

_"I-I have to go. This is...bad." _He thought as he shakily stood up.

It was now that Naruto acknowledged that things would probably never be the same again. He knew that the life he desired was not even close to realistic so long as he was susceptible to this level of unconscious terror. If there were even a chance that he could inflict this much damage again, he didn't belong in a place of civility.

He tore himself away from the scene; mud and rain smacking him from all directions as he sprinted to his apartment. He caught a glimpse of the pink rain sloshing off of his fingers.

Soon, the bodies would be found, and the absolute carnage would scare even the most stoic ANBU. Word would spread rapidly, people would become frightened, and rumors would fly. He wouldn't be here when it happened.

He hurriedly jerked open the door of his apartment. Tearing wildly through the room, he tore open his shelves and cabinets and hoarded whatever he could find.

As he sloppily shoved a few things into a bag, he caught a glimpse of himself in his mirror. At first it was too dark to see anything but a shapeless black sillhouette. As the storm raged on outside, however, a quick flash of lightning highlighted his image only to reveal a completely different person. In that fraction of a second, Naruto saw that his normally-round pupils had taken on the splintered shape of a cat's eye. He had seen them before, but they had always returned to normal.

His normally-blonde hair had turned burgundy-red in patchy, uneven places. The dull fangs in his mouth were now slightly chiseled at the ends.

But out of all these new features, the one that scared him the most were the thick, darkened imprints of the whisker marks on his cheeks. These whisker marks were always with him, but they now implied more than they ever had before. As Naruto ran his fingers down the black whisker marks and across his fanged mouth, he realized that he no longer contained the Kyuubi: he was becoming the Kyuubi. He was sub-human. Animalistic.

"What _**am**_ I?"

Not wanting to study himself any longer, Naruto grabbed his bag and darted out of the apartment. The door slammed behind him, and he ran as fast as he was capable to the Konoha gates.

As he approached the gates, the rain hit him from all directions and the thunder and lightning raged against him.

He abruptly stopped, however, when Sai appeared in front of his path. He was breathing heavily, which meant he had been following Naruto for a while.

Sai was too mild too question people for their behavior, but the wary look Sai sent him indicated that he wanted _some_ kind of explanation.

Naruto, having no idea as to what he could say to Sai, felt the awkward tension rising between them. He had hoped he could leave the village with no questions asked. He didn't anticipate that some one would see him.

"You're appearance." Sai commented blankly.

"I know."

The rain replaced the intense silence after this. There were a thousand questions lingering in the air, and Naruto swore that time seemed to slow-down with every one he couldn't answer. Knowing he needed to leave, Naruto spoke up in the hope that Sai would understand the severity of the situation:

"Sai, I. . ." He struggled to find the words. "I have to leave the village for now. I can't explain this, so don't ask me to."

"I won't." Came the reply. Naruto faltered at the matter-of-fact reply. Sai never probed, and he was sincerely grateful for it.

"Thanks. Really."

Naruto brushed past him.

"When will you return?" He called.

Naruto stopped and turned, giving Sai a sympathetic look that he hoped Sai would understand. He didn't.

"I won't be, Sai."

Sai seemed to be unaffected by this announcement, and stood motionless, staring at Naruto. Naruto waited for some kind of response from Sai, but it never came.

He resumed his walk out of Konoha's gate.

"I'm going with you." Sai called after him. Naruto turned in disbelief at Sai's declaration.

"What?" He asked in exasperation.

"I'll go with you, Naruto-kun."

"Your joking, Sai. You have a good life here. Don't ruin it for something like this." Naruto tried desperately.

"My life in this village is quickly coming to an end, Naruto. Danzo San is already aware of my disassociation with him, so I know he is ready to kill me. I don't know your motivations for leaving the village, but I do know I can no longer sustain a normal life here either. If I don't leave, I will eventually be killed for abandoning ROOT."

As much as Naruto wanted to deny it, he knew Sai was being completely honest. Sai had abandoned everything he had been taught under Danzo and had verbally cut his ties with Danzo's organization. Naruto knew Sai had the odds against him, and as much as he hated it, he knew Sai's time in Konoha would eventually be scrutinized.

"Please, Naruto. I can help you."

"I can't, Sai..."

"If you wish to travel alone, then I won't follow you. However, my desire to leave will not vanish and I will still run from here whether if it is with you or not."

A once lifeless shell, Sai had grown to love the village and had forged many friendships in his time after Danzo's organization. Leaving Konoha would be hard for Sai as well, and there was nothing Sai could do to live peacefully as he wanted to. Both of their lives were completely incompatible with a life in the village: Sai having abandoned everything he had ever known only to eventually be punished for it, and Naruto losing control of the very thing he was cursed with.

They would have to leave behind _everything_. There was not a single part of Naruto's life that he could take with him other than memories. He would leave his friends, his goals; everything. He also knew that with this departure, he would have to leave behind his goal to redeem Sasuke. He couldn't bring any one home if he didn't have a home to bring them to.

Naruto saw the determined expression in Sai's onyx-polished eyes. Bringing Sai along would not be awful, and Naruto knew their chances for survival would be heightened. His only dilemma lied in the fact that he would have to warn Sai of his failure to control the Nine-Tailed fox. He couldn't bear to kill anyone else, especially not any of his close friends.

"Fine." He remarked in defeat.

Naruto noted the small smile appear on Sai's face. Before Sai could say anything, though, Naruto interrupted.

"But Sai, this...none of this will be easy. I...we can't come back."

"I know, Naruto-kun."

"And you _have_ to promise me something." It sounded as desperate as it felt.

Naruto saw Sai's expression change as curiosity spread across his face.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Anything."

"If I lose control of the Nine-Tailed fox, kill me."

For the first time, Sai seemed to show something like shock.

"I promise, Naruto –kun."

And with that, Naruto and Sai left the Village of Konoha to pursue the lives of rogues, leaving behind everyone and everything they had ever known. With his control of the Nine-Tailed fox chipping away every month, Naruto and Sai learn to deal with the power of the world's most ruthless demon. Despite the ability to survive, Naruto and Sai still cling to the memories of the days they spent in a village they didn't want to leave.

Little did they know, it would all change.

(END CHAPTER)

Hey guys! Before we continue, I need to explain something: the chapter you just read is actually a re-vision to the original chapter that I uploaded a while ago. I started this story many months ago, took a long hiatus, then started back again. As I went back and re-read it, I realized I had many spelling/grammatical mistakes and the start of this story didn't flow nearly as well as the later half. Basically, my writing style in the later half of this story changed too much to flow nicely with the first half, so I'm going back and revising the first chapters to better flow with the new onces. I'm not changing the plot at all, just making it a better read.

That being said, if you notice that the next few chapters after this one don't sound as polished or as believable as this one, it's most-likely because I have yet to go back and revise those too. I will get to it as soon as possible, because I want to make sure this story flows smoothly and believably. The last five or six chapters of this story have the estimated quality that I like, so forgive me if the chapters before that don't sound as good. If the chapter has already been revised, I'll write the word "_REVISED_" at the very beginning.

Anyway, thanks for reading this far and I hope you liked the first chapter! :D If there are any questions, comments, concerns, whatever, don't hesitate to e-mail me!

Pairings: SasuNaru (A little SaiSaku, and SaiNaru friendship)


	2. Cruel Irony: Chapter 2 Fracture

_REVISED._

_"Moving on is a simple thing. It's what is left behind that's hard."_

_**Two Years Later...**_

"What are you drawing?" Naruto asked as he tossed a twig into the fire. Sparks bee-lined into the air, and disappeared thereafter. The fire was hot on Naruto's face, and he sleepily observed Sai through the flames.

"Mm...nothing." He replied as he concentrated on his drawings.

In the two years that they had been together, Naruto had learned many things about Sai that he wouldn't have ever learned otherwise.

First, Sai had become comfortable enough with himself to speak on a casual and friendly level. He was still reserved, but he wasn't stoic or socially inept.

Second, in the time that he and Sai had spent working together, Naruto had grown to understand Sai's skills, and was thus able to work with him better.

Thirdly, Sai was completely and utterly useless in a conversation when he was absorbed in his drawings.

Naruto followed Sai's hand move the ink brush across the canvas. Realizing that Sai was once again too enraptured in his drawings to have a conversation, he rolled onto his back.

_"So many stars."_ He thought sleepily to himself. _"Too damn many to keep up with."_ They were miles from any major village, so the lesser stars that were never seen had been given this territory to shine without being washed-out by village light. It was one of the few things he liked about being rogue.

One of the _few._

_"Today is __**that **__day." _Naruto thought to himself as he twisted the grass between his thumb and pointer-finger.

Today marked the second year of Naruto and Sai's departure from Konoha. The first few months, life had been difficult, if not frustratingly unpredictable. Everything was a constant challenge. Village-hopping, trivial chores, and gambling had served as income to propel them to the next place where they would repeat the cycle all over again. When they burned bridges in that place, they would move on again. It was what they did, and how they had learned to lived.

If that's what any one would call it.

The first year was just trying to establish a routine: Running, hiding, landing; landing, hiding running. Repeat.

It was routine, but hardly boring considering they were faced with an impressive amount of uncertainty. They liked it though. Business meant distraction, and distraction was the only thing that would keep their thoughts away from home.

After the first year had passed, Naruto and Sai eventually adapted to living as rogues. Much to Naruto's surprise, there were certain aspects that he could _deal_ with. The sense of freedom he felt was something he never could have fathomed on that night two years ago. But then again, nothing seemed redeemable then.

Despite the new-found sense of freedom, though, neither of them ever pretended that things were great. No amount of freedom, time, or reckless abandon could ever relieve the homesickness. It came in weird, unpredictable waves and was prompted by trivial things: a clumsy, bickering three-man Genin team just starting out with an overwhelmed sensei. A market-place that contained nostalgic food and smells. Festivals with happy people and happy families. It was things that could only be appreciated when one came to the realization that they could never be experienced again.

When things seemed to feel especially bad, however, Naruto barely had to remember the torn bodies of the missing-nin, and the copper-heavy taste of blood on his fingers to petrify himself back into a state of sobriety. When those memories came, so did the perspective. That particular night had triggered every move he had made up to this point. The things he had done and what he was becoming were more reason than he ever needed just to stay away.

_"I will never let myself forget." _He thought in feigned determination. Now holding his hands in the air, Naruto observed the scars and burns on his shaky hands. He ran his thumb across a chakra-burned patch of skin.

The darkened whiskers never faded, but somehow, he wasn't surprised. They were constant reminders at how animalistic he had become. He saw his own uneasiness mirrored on the faces of those he met along the way. His reflection, when he dared to look, only yielded the picture of some kind of sub-human miscreation.

One year ago, he stopped looking at his reflection altogether.

He let his arms fall limply to his sides. He didn't like these thoughts, but they were thought enough that they became exhausted and routine.

"Sai?" He called.

"Hm?"

"Do you think they still send ANBU after us?"

"I highly doubt it. Missing-nin are typically considered a top priority for the first six months. Any time after that, they just file missing reports and channel their resources into other missions until word eventually circulates."

"When _was _the last time we were hunted?" Naruto asked as he twirled his finger in a small lock of hair.

"Konoha hasn't sent anyone after us in roughly seven months. Other villages have, but only when we attract too much attention."

Naruto scrunched his face. The morning after they had left, Konoha had issued an entire fleet of ANBU to track them. There were close calls, but a lot of the motivation to find them had been tainted by the rumor that they had been killed. The bodies of the people Naruto had killed presented enough bloodied carnage to convince people that something devastating had occurred. When both he and Sai had been reported missing shortly after, many assumed that what had happened to the bodies had happened to them as well. As the months went by, they traveled farther and the ANBU eventually stopped trying.

Naruto always wondered if any of his friends were on those teams.

Friends. Friends and enemies. When he was young, there wasn't much of a difference between the two. But time, maturity, learning, hard work, determination and whatever else Naruto was known for had attracted others to him. There were the people who liked him for what he was: Iruka, Sarutobi, Tsunade. People who liked him for what he represented: Lee, Gaara, Konohamaru, Neji, Shikamaru. The people who liked him for what he _became: _Kakashi, Jiraiya, Sakura. And then there were the people who didn't know why they liked him, but they did nonetheless. There was only one person who fell under this category, and Naruto did his best not to think about it anymore. Sasuke was one of the only things he ever failed at, and one of the only things where success_ truly _mattered to him.

"Do you think they think about us?" Naruto mumbled, trying to put Uchiha Sasuke in the back of his mind.

He heard the swish of Sai's brush stop. Upon Sai's initiation into Team Kakashi, Naruto had been bound and determined to hate him out of blind loyalty to Sasuke. But Sai had found a place in Naruto's world, whether it was a conscious acceptance or not.

Somewhere along the way, Sai had made friends and had learned how to like people. It was like teaching a baby to walk, but Sai had established his own friends in Konoha before his time was cut short. He would have had every right to miss Konohagakure as much as he did.

"I would hope so." Sai replied matter-of-factly.

"Same here. Damn, what I would give to go back one more time." Naruto replied, the last part being said more to himself. They had reiterated this conversation many times before, and it never went beyond that point. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up again:

"Sai." Came the statement as he perched himself into a casual sitting position.

"Yes?"

"We have 4,000 yen. At this rate, we'll get to Suna. . ." He stopped, and Sai thought he could hear the wheels turning in the blond's head. "...never, actually."

They had mutually decided a month before to depart for the Sand village because it's size usually allowed for many opportunities for work. After an obvious sigh of surrender, Naruto smirked as Sai flipped his book over and put it away into his backpack.

"I know. It's unfortunate, really. Who would've thought that gambling could possibly result in losing?" Sai replied blankly.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Naruto asked.

"No."

"Tch. Up yours. That old hag cheated and you know it." Naruto replied smugly as he threw a few sticks on the fire. He sighed loudly. "Are you sure you're not the heir to a massive inheritance?" Naruto tried sarcastically. "I think you have a shit-load of money stashed away somewhere, and you're waiting till' I die to spend it all on paper and brushes."

Naruto frowned in annoyance as an amused smile spread across Sai's face.

"You would do that, wouldn't you? Jerk."

He crossed his legs and let his eyes glaze over the flames. Only the cracking and popping of the fire could be heard as Naruto let his thoughts go somewhere productive. After a few minutes, the darker boy spoke up:

"Now that you mention it, I did once have a small sum of money hidden away in Konoha."

Naruto's head snapped up.

"How much?" He asked in shock.

"Well, if I remember correctly, it was somewhere around 500,000 yen (A/N This would be roughly equivalent to $5,000 American dollars.)

"Why the hell didn't you bring it with you that night?" Naruto asked as he felt his voice rising.

"You didn't ask me to."

At this announcement, Naruto's interest deflated and he fell onto his back. Of course Sai would have been explicitly _literal_ on the night that would change their lives indefinitely. They could have made a last-minute stop, but at that point, Sai still hadn't found a balance in the field of social common sense. It didn't matter though; he was too indebted to Sai to hold it against him.

"What were you storing it for, anyway?" Naruto asked as he rubbed his temples. He could feel a headache starting to form.

"I was saving it for the day when I would be confronted for leaving ROOT. I knew it was inevitable, so I started saving money on the off-chance that I would have to leave quickly. Had I known at the time that my departure would be with you, I would have retrieved it the night we left. However, given the circumstances that night, I had my mind on other things. I am truly sorry, Naruto."

"It's fine. I would have wasted it anyway. At least you know it will always be there." This explanation was enough for Naruto and he decided to stop thinking about it.

Naruto then let his eyes go to the moon. He liked the moon. He found that no matter what corner of the earth he ever found himself in, the moon always looked the same. It was one of the last things in Naruto's world that never changed; and because of this, Naruto clung to it as a reminder that there are some things in life that won't leave you; and if you are lucky enough to acknowledge one of those things, the things that do change won't be so bitter.

Despite knowing that he would never return to Konoha again, he couldn't help but entertain thoughts of returning for the money just so they could make it the Sand Village. It had been their goal for a month now, and they had only saved a fifth of the money that they needed. Despite the promise of going to the sand village, Naruto knew he couldn't kid himself. Returning to Konoha just for the sake of returning would have been enough to satisfy him forever.

_"If we could just return to get that money, I could look for the picture of Team 7." _Naruto thought to himself. That night two years ago, he had shoved the Team Seven picture in his pocket and forgot about it in his haste to leave. Much to his frustration, however, he realized the next day that it was not there. Figuring it probably fell out as he swept wildly across the room, he decided to leave it behind. It was the only thing he had left of his childhood, and it pained him to realize he would never see it again. He knew having it back would give him more closure than he had now.

Forgetting the thought of going back, Naruto rolled over and closed his eyes, scheming of new ways to get to the Sand Village.

_"I could always cheat my way out of a gambling match. That usually works."_

"Naruto?"

_"No, I got it. I'll teach Sai my Sexy Jutsu and have him perform in a tea-house as a geisha. Fuck I'm brilliant!"_

"Let's return for it."

Bolting upright, Naruto could only stare in open-mouthed shock as Sai looked at him in what seemed to be total and complete seriousness.

Sai was not joking, nor was he casually suggesting something. He was completely confident in the statement he had just made. It was at this moment that Naruto could only gawk at Sai for suggesting they do the one thing they both promised themselves they would never do.


	3. Cruel Irony: Chapter 3 Facing Demons

_**REVISED.**_

"What?" Naruto asked, pushing himself into a standing position. Sai, whose face remained stoic and humorless, only repeated the statement again.

"I said, let's return for it."

_"_What?" Naruto repeated in open-mouthed confusion as he scanned Sai's face for some hint of foul play. "I can't even..._what?" _

"There's no need for theatrics, Naruto." Sai remarked calmly as he filed his remaining brushes into his backpack.

"Do you not understand the danger that we would have to avoi- no, **_tell_** me that was not a serious suggestion. We promised we would never return." Naruto barked as he stood up and began to pace. Sai, who merely waited for the hysterics to subside, allowed Naruto to panic until he could further explain himself. "I mean, everything we've worked for would be ruined on the off-chance that someone would see us! If I were to be confronted by someone, there is not a thing in the world I could say to defend mys- are you even _listening_ to me?"

"Yes, Naruto."

Coming to a complete stop then, Naruto looked fully into Sai's face with an expression that was quickly transitioning from confused disbelief, to self-defensive hurt.

"Then why the hell would you even play this game with me?" Naruto asked through labored breaths. The atmosphere plummeted into an icy silence as the blond's heaving chest served as the only sound to fill the void between them now. If Naruto's troubled eyes didn't indicate the hurt, his uncharacteristic sobriety did. "It's hard enough as it is. Don't...don't suggest things like that." Naruto commented quietly as he sat back down and let his eyes glaze numbly over the fire.

Sai more-or-less expected this reaction, although he couldn't help but feel...guilty? About it. He had been pondering this question for weeks, and he had found that that nights conversation had seemed to be the perfect opportunity to throw his suggestion out there. Yes, the money would have been helpful. Of course it would be. But that was not his grounds for wanting to return, and although Naruto's outburst indicated otherwise, Sai knew that Naruto had been struggling daily with the homesickness. He himself had battled sleepless nights and bittersweet memories, so he couldn't fathom the war that Naruto had been fighting over the place that was so deeply-rooted into the blonds being.

The days were getting longer, life was moving slower, and much to his dismay, Sai wasn't oblivious to the changes that Naruto endured over the last two years. The constant spells of fatigue and collapse had become more frequent than ever, and each day seemed to add another fraction of animalism into Naruto's body. Naruto was caught in the netting of his own decay, frustration and sadness, and Sai hated it for him.

Naruto watched in bruised apathy as Sai stood up and turned his back.

"You're not happy, Naruto. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you sleep. It's hard for me, so I can't imagine what its like for you."

"I'm gonna' be fine. I've made it this far, and –"

"Naruto."

Only the popping of the fire could be heard as a small decade seemed to pass between the two.

"I know." Naruto commented in silent surrender. He was completely defenseless, and even if he had convincing words to say, nothing he could string together could have possibly held water. Sai was irrevocably and undeniably right.

"Naruto, this is one situation where you...you can't _just_ make up your mind to be happy. You are beyond that point, and no amount of traveling, moving or migrating will ever distract you permanently. You can't sustain this any longer. Neither can I."

"If I go back there, I..." He stopped, cleared his throat, then started again. "I don't know what I'll do. It was too damn hard to leave the first time. I don't know that I'll have the motivation to do it again."

"I'm not going to pretend that everything will seamlessly fall into place; but I do know that if you and I take the chance to go back and do the things we should have done on that night two years ago, we might be able to move on."

Sai, who quickly glanced at Naruto, caught the sight of the dark whisker marks and blood-shot-eyes and felt his stomach drop. "It's now or never. It's up to you."

When Naruto stood up and walked into the forest, Sai didn't even pretend to be surprised. The risk of going back to Konoha was very real, both physically and emotionally. If they were caught, their identities would be revealed and they would both be tried as missing-nin. If Konoha and the Elder Council stuck with tradition, the punishment for a Missing-Nin was execution. Even worse would be the personal punishment from their friends that was unpredictable at best. Sai figured that Naruto would endure the loss of his life before he would endure the loss of faith from a friend.

He always wondered if his decision to leave with Naruto that night was the right thing. At the time, he was a metaphorical baby when it came to understanding the concepts of right and wrong. He had had a valid reason to leave, and that was because he would have soon been killed by Danzo for his failure to uphold ROOT. Simple. Naruto's reason for leaving was something he never questioned, and still tried to leave it be as best he could. They had spent a lot of there two years together seeking information on how to re-draw the seal, and Naruto always abandoned the techniques because they always involved risking the life of other people.

And in the end, none of it mattered anyway, simply because their current lifestyle was what Naruto had chosen, and Sai had no right to challenge it. He had promised that he wouldn't tell anyone about the seal, and he hadn't. Back then, it had seemed to be such an easy rationale:

_"Promises are meant to be kept. Break them, and you break trust."  _

It was simple to follow, but these days, things just seemed so-

"So..." Came a voice from behind, and Sai cast a look back at the blond who was leaning casually against a tree. "When are we going?"

". . .Are you sure?" Sai asked carefully, mentally scanning the blonds face for hesitancy.

"Yeah." Naruto began, awkwardly fiddling with his hair and standing somewhat like an embarrassed child. "I've thought about it and..."

"...and?"

"And I think you're right. About everything, and that's really all there is to it. So do you have some kind of...plan?" Naruto asked as he pushed off of the tree and folded his arms.

Sai, who couldn't mask the slight smirk, unzipped his back pack and spread a map of Konoha's marketplace on the ground below them. He drew a small "X" in a small apartment complex as Naruto crouched down to observe the map.

"How long have you been planning this?" Naruto asked in disbelief as Sai labeled various spots on the map. Ignoring him, Sai spoke up:

"Tomorrow is the Cherry Blossom festival in Konoha. Everyone will be gathered in the streets and in the main square. There will be lots of people and lots of distractions, which will decrease our chances of being discovered. Konoha is not at war with anyone right now, so guards will be down and village morale will be high, giving us an easier time of passing through. I figured we could travel by rooftop, seeing as the majority of the town's people will be attending the festival.

"Damn, Sai. Slow down for a seco-

"The money I have stashed is in my old apartment, which has most likely been sold or abandoned, but I have hidden the money under a floor board. When we get there, I figured we could temporarily depart from each other and you could go to your apartment to gather your things. I'll wait for you in the square. When we arrive at my apartment, we'll get the money and depart from there to go to the festival where I need to buy a few things. While we are there, we can visually locate our friends to make sure nothing has happened to them in our absence. Is this plan sufficient enough for you?"

Naruto, who could only stare at Sai in his classic confusion, ruffled his hair in frustration.

"I mean, it sounds good, but you're saying that we would have to be around other people. How will we disguise ourselves?"

Avoiding every person in Konoha was unrealistic and most likely impossible. They needed some way to blend in without being noticed, and even if they could, ANBU would be able to sense any foreign chakra trails approaching the village.

"I was just going to suggest some kind of henge, although I don't know that going in as complete strangers would be the wisest approach. We would need to make ourselves appear as non-threatening as possible."

As Sai fell into deep concentration, his thoughts were obstructed by the somewhat sinister laughter that was coming from the blond. Casting a glance upwards towards Naruto, he noted an evil smirk spread across the younger boys face.

"Sai, have you ever seen my Sexy Jutsu?"

"Sexy jutsu?" Sai asked innocently. He could tell just by the insane look in Naruto's eyes that this was going to be a long night.

**The next morning:**

"Naruto, I'm sure this is entirely unnecessary." Sai replied as he walked out from behind a tree, a female with black eyes and long black hair replacing his normal male anatomy.

"Ridiculous. This plan is fool proof. Now walk over to that tree and let me see how well you balance yourself." Naruto replied with an inquisitive look on his face.

Sai carefully wobbled over to the nearby tree as he struggled to deal with his new female anatomy. They had been practicing this technique for the last two hours, and although Sai had managed to finally get the anatomy right, it didn't lessen the fact that he still stood and walked like a male. Naruto, who circled him like a vulture, seemed to be making a mental checklist of the pros and cons of his "henge." Sai would have wondered how Naruto ever conceived of such an idea, but then he remembered that it was Naruto who conceived it.

"It's good. Too bad about the birthing hips, though." Naruto replied.

". . .what?"

"Ah well, for just learning this a few hours ago, you've done a good job." Naruto commented as he watched Sai's expression falter. He was having too much fun with this. Sai quickly dispelled the jutsu at hearing Naruto's approval and proceeded to gather his things.

"Remember, we will utilize this. . . jutsu. . .when we are within a ten mile radius of Konoha. The second we step inside, we will have to maintain this jutsu at all times when around people." Sai explained as he folded a scroll with a drawing of the female he was to replicate. "Remember, if we are stopped by any ANBU, we are just girls from a non-shinobi village who wanted to attend the festival. Are you ready?" Sai asked as he secured the straps of his bag and threw sand on the fire.

Naruto, now remembering the severity of the situation he was about to embark on, knew he could no longer delay. He would have to follow through on what he commit to despite the level of uncertainty that came with it. He was always known for his willingness to charge in and forget the rest, but this wasn't a mission that had a black and white outcome. Not knowing how this day would turn out, Naruto pulled his back-pack on and looked at Sai warily.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He replied. They both exchanged nods and jumped into the tree's, knowing that the mission they were about to embark on was as fragile as the emotions that it held.

Nine hours later:

"We're almost there." Naruto called to Sai as they approached the gates of Konoha. They had been traveling for a while now, and although they were both miserably tired, the adrenaline and excitement of being home again fueled their desire to keep on going. They were already in their female forms and had gone over their plan twice already to ensure that nothing would go wrong, and had successfully passed three ANBU without being identified. They were conscious to keep their chakras low, and their guard on high.

"You ready?" Sai called as he tucked a long piece of black hair behind his ear.

"Hah." Naruto commented sarcastically as he pulled the classic blond pig-tails out of there ties; allowing the hair to thrash wildly around his face. Due to the chance that anyone who had seen the sexy jutsu before might recognize it now, he and Sai had both mutually decided to wear their hair down and as modestly as possible.

Bursting through the last section of the leafy trees, they landed with a skid on the ground in front of Konoha. Kicking up a cloud of dust, they mentally pinpointed the usual locations of the guards and ANBU that usually surrounded the walls. If there was one thing they had mastered in the past two years, it was how to get in and out of villages without being seen.

As they neared Konoha's gates, the music and voices of the hundreds of people attending the festival inside filled there ears. They could just barely see the orange glow of the paper lanterns over the walls as they walked the dirt path to the gate.

"Evening, ladies." A guard at the gate commented as he watched them pass through. Both boys were careful to suppress their chakras as they chirped a friendly greeting to the guard as they passed by him. It was common for the people of surrounding villages to visit Konohagakure festivals, and they did there best to pretend as if they were as innocent as any other pair of girls who passed through the gate that night.

"One down." Naruto whispered lowly as he and Sai cleared the gate.

The voices and commotion inside the gate suddenly burst into life as both boys walked through the entryway and into the streets.

Kites and lanterns bobbed in the sky as children chased each other around there legs. The familiar sights, smells and sounds of the Konoha marketplace filled their ears.

Discreetly walking to a small stand across the street, the female Sai -who wore a lilac Kimono stolen from a Tea house in Kirigakure- sent Naruto a quick nod and turned around to observe the wares in fake interest. With that signal, Naruto walked calmly into a corresponding alleyway and lept onto the roof of a building. Surveying the marketplace, he pinpointed Sai and his old apartment, and darted into the village.

Sai, who watched from the street, cast Naruto one last look before engaging in sugary small-talk with the man who worked behind the stand.

And with that, Naruto and Sai began to mold their plan into action; all the while being completely unaware of the series of events that would soon shatter their plans and leave them completely speechless.


	4. Cruel Irony: Chapter 4 Reflections

**REVISED.**

_"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart." - Suzanne Collins_

Naruto listened to the faint chatter of the people below him as he slid from roof to roof. He had watched Sai retreat into the crowd a while back and knew he couldn't sustain his genjutsu for very long.

As he leapt from roof to roof, gliding onto the tin roofs of the old buildings, he vaguely scanned the streets below for any sign of one of his friends. Fortunately the rooftops were shrouded in the black of night and he had learned to be a light traveler, but he still remained careful due to the ANBU who hid in the surrounding buildings.

_"If I can just get that picture_..."Naruto thought as he slid onto another tin roof. He could feel the sting of the cold air biting at his nose and cheeks as his uncomfortably long hair flew wildly around his face.

Bounding onto the next roof, he casually glanced down into one of the streets, only to be rendered immobile at the sight of Tsunade and Shizune casually talking with Lee and Gai Sensei. Peering over the edge, Naruto felt his heart beat spike in pace as he observed a few of his old friends. He saw Tsunade conversing with Lee, probably to inquire about his legs that she had healed after the battle with Gaara. He observed in fascination as Shizune covered her mouth in laughter as Tsunade smacked Gai-Sensei in the face and stormed by.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to jump off of the roof of the building he was on and shout to the whole festival that he was here.

As he watched Tsunade and Shizune disappear into the crowd, a strikingly cold burst of wind jerked him back into reality. Looking for his friends now would only stunt his progress and delay his purpose for being there. Tearing his gaze away from the street, he continued on into the night.

When he finally approached the last turn above his street, he bounded gracefully onto the roof right above his window and dropped onto the porch. Checking the area, he carefully slid open the glass door, stepped into the room, and closed the door behind him.

The room was blue and dark from the lack of light; the only light being the moonlight and the paper lanterns below. Through the limited light, he could see the wreckage and chaos of everything that had happened that night.

"Damn." He commented as he dispelled the Sexy Jutsu and observed the state of his apartment, nearly tripping over a broken flower pot.

Everything was meticulously positioned as he had left it, and nothing had been disturbed or moved. His dresser drawers still lay pulled open, and remnants of clothes hung sloppily out of the sides. That night, he tore through virtually everything in his apartment and never once stopped to be rational. He remembered shoving his clothes into his backpack and raking through the cabinets to look for food he could take; dropping many cups of ramen on the floor because of his shaking hands.

_"Why didn't they sell this place?" _He thought in awe as he maneuvered his way over the clothes and trash. He now saw that the cabinets, like the drawers and everything else in his apartment, were exactly as he had left them that night: torn through and indicative of the chaos that he experienced that night. And although everything had been left as a concrete memory of his desperation that night, the room was so quiet it was deafening.

Before he could take another step, he suddenly found himself tearing a kunai out of his shirt as a sudden movement in the corner of the room caught his eye. Preparing to attack, he realized that the movement he had seen was nothing more than his reflection in the mirror he had hung on the wall.

Putting the kunai away and walking towards the mirror, (which was now covered with a thick layer of dust) he ignored his reflection and instead focused on the four slash marks that were carved into the dust. They were the fingerprints that he had left on the mirror that night when he had first discovered that his appearance had changed.

Using the side of his kimono, he wiped the dust off of the mirror and looked at himself for the first time in a year. His eyes were becoming increasingly bloodshot, and his canines were far too narrow to be normal. His whiskers had darkened to the point of being chalky, and his hair was wild and unruly with ratty patches of burgundy showing through. His skin was yellowing, and his nails were too chiseled to not look feral.

His stomach dropped.

Visions of the mangled bodies of the men he killed seemed to flash in the mirror, and he swore he could feel the blood caked under his fingernails. He never apologized for who he was, but these days, it was becoming far too easy to loathe everything he saw. He was becoming a monster.

"Fuck you." Naruto barked as he slammed his fist into the mirror; sending thousands of shards raining around his feet. He heard them clash and clink against each other as he placed his forehead against the wall and just stared. The sting of the cuts on his hand and the warm blood ran down onto the carpet and made soft "plink" noises on the glass, but he didn't care. It was hard to care about physical pain when there were so many other things that hurt him worse.

The shards of glass caught the moonlight in weird places, sending flashes of white light and deep crimson across the room. He saw parts of himself reflected into the shards and silently agreed that it was a true picture of what he was now; just pieces of the whole picture.

Pieces of what he used to be.

"Nothing but an animal." He commented as he tossed one of the shards into the pile. It was at this time that the ticking of the clock -which somehow still worked- filled the silence.

"Shit. I was supposed to meet Sai fifteen minutes ago." Naruto thought as he pushed off of the wall.

Stepping forward, he was deterred by the soft crinkling of something under his shoe. Glancing downward, he smiled sadly as the picture of Team Seven lay on the carpet below him; a small drop of blood on its glossy surface.

These were the days that he had so taken for granted. During this time, Kakashi was still an inexperienced sensei who stayed slightly overwhelmed by their bickering, but loved them nonetheless and taught them everything that he valued. Sakura was still cheery and lighthearted and just so very happy to be alive. Her world was composed only of beautiful things and hope for the future. And Sasuke was still Sasuke, and that in and of itself was impossible to believe. Yes, he was stoic and moody and cynical, but he was still loyal and _rational_ and getting better all the time. Even though Naruto missed Kakashi and Sakura more than he could convey, he took comfort in knowing that they were still themselves no matter where he was. He missed Sasuke light-years more, only because Sasuke had been gone far longer, and in more ways than one.

These days, Naruto swore that if he didn't have the picture to prove it, "Team Seven" could have just been chalked up to a well-written dream.

Folding the picture and putting it into his kimono, he re-activated his jutsu and made his way back out onto the high porch of his apartment.

Dropping gracefully into the street below, he walked through the streets with a well-mastered poker-face. He surveyed all of the food stands and shops in feigned curiosity, all the while keeping tabs on any person he might know. He casually waded to the side of the street when he thought he saw Kiba, and continued through until he came to a particularly boisterous plaza full of food stands.

He had always loved this festival. Once, he even came with Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura had spent her time vainly trying to flirt with Sasuke, all the while Sasuke was as receptive as a bag of concrete. Kakashi had parked himself at a nearby stand with Gai and Kurenai, and he and Kiba participated in a ramen-eating contest. Life had been so simple.

"Hey little lady, watch it!" Came the voice of a gruff but cheerful older man. Naruto, who had nearly knocked the man over in his daydreaming, turned around and decided to utilize his acting skills.

"I'm so sorry, sir! I won't let it happen again. I think I just had a little too much Saki!" He chirped in his best femininity. The man, who was obviously captivated by the charm, simply smiled.

"Hey now, that's okay. Where are you from anyway?"

"_This guys a sap." _Naruto thought as he pretended to care. "Just a little neighboring village about ten miles from here. You know, one of the non-Shinobi villages. Everyone who passes through always talks about how lovely this festival is, so I figured I'd come and visit!"

"Well ain't that the truth! This is the biggest festival our Konoha hosts every year! What have you enjoyed the most?" The man asked as he visibly beamed.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly name just one thing. Perhaps the-" But before he could say anything else, he was rendered into a state of paralysis as he spotted Kakashi and Sakura sitting casually at a stand at the other end of the plaza.

"...hey, you okay?" The man asked as he turned to look in the direction that Naruto was. "You feeling sick? That Saki will do it to ya'."

"N-no, I'm fine. Will you excuse me?" Naruto asked quickly, craning his neck around the hordes of people passing in front of his line of vision. As he maneuvered to the side, he felt relief flooding his body at the sight of a very healthy and happy Sakura and Kakashi laughing and talking. He felt himself smile stupidly to himself.

About this time, he picked up on Sai's suppressed chakra trail approaching him from behind and figured he had been late, but was beaming with too much joy to feel the need to apologize.

"You ready?" Sai asked quietly as he appeared behind Naruto. "Fortunately, my apartment isn't being owned at the moment. It should be easy to get inside."

"Yeah yeah, look Sai, it's Kakashi and-" But before he could finish, he suddenly felt his heart skip a beat and the blood drain from his fingers as a metaphorical freight train seemed to run him over.

"What's wrong?" Sai asked lowly as he smiled and waved at a child passing by with his mother. Turning towards what Naruto was looking at, he suddenly felt his countenance drop as he saw in clear definition what had paralyzed Naruto.

There, in the distance, was Sasuke Uchiha, who had just sat down in between Kakashi and Sakura; in complete daylight, with no ANBU charging at him, and making casual conversation with Kakashi. Either someone was pulling off an amazingly inappropriate genjutsu that was somehow okay with Sakura and Kakashi, or the real Sasuke Uchiha had somehow been allowed to walk freely and casually through the streets of Konoha after five years of being one of the most wanted criminals in existence. Sai, who observed the tinkling laughter of Sakura as Sasuke conversed with Kakashi, knew that option two was probably the correct one, though only by some seriously miraculous circumstances.

It was now that Sai glanced nervously at Naruto, who was merely staring at his former team in what could best be described as angry, disbelieving horror.

"...what the **_fuck_**?" Naruto whispered with the whitest fury that Sai had ever felt a whisper convey.

Sai knew at this point that the appearance of Uchiha Sasuke was the worst possible thing that could have happened.

End Chapter


	5. Cruel Irony: Chapter 5 Intensity

**REVISED.**

_"It would have been better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there." -Unknown_

Naruto's breath hitched in his throat. The voices and movements of everyone around him seemed to move in slow motion as he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. There, in the distance, were Sakura, Kakashi and Sasuke; sitting and talking casually at a food stand as if things had never changed. As if Sasuke wasn't a nationally-targeted criminal.

As if things were "okay" now.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Naruto whispered angrily to himself, casting Sai a confused look as if to ask "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" When Sai merely returned his gesture with a frown, Naruto could only turn back and observe the scene in horror.

Sasuke had left. Sasuke had left a long time ago, and had left nothing behind but a hitai-ate and an extreme amount of his own animosity. He had hated everything about Konoha and regularly cursed the very air he breathed here. Why was he back? And more importantly, _how_ was he back? He had been charged for being a missing-nin, threatening his homeland, conspiring with illegal organizations, murder, and many other fallacies that most people would never know. Why weren't the ANBU swarming him from all directions? Why weren't people blanching in fear and disgust? Why were Kakashi and Sakura just...just _why_?

_"This. Doesn't. Make. Sense." _

Sai, who noticed Naruto's clenched fists and dwindling control, decided that if they didn't leave the area, Naruto's chakra would spike and the surrounding ANBU would target them as suspicious personnel. As he made to place his hand on the blond's shoulder, he had to take a step back as Naruto abruptly turned around, and charged towards a dark alleyway outside the chaos of the festival. Doing his best to minimize the theatrics, Sai followed casually behind, careful not to appear concerned.

"Is this a _joke_?" Naruto barked as he slammed his fist into the wall of a surrounding alleyway. It was dark, drippy and littered with wet trash and crates. Sai heard the clattering of the stone hit the street, and didn't bother scolding Naruto for dispelling the jutsu as he stepped through the remaining smoke and caught sight of Naruto's grim expression and tight-lipped fury. He nervously looked back into the plaza to make sure they were out of earshot.

"Of course Sasuke would come back. He lives to fuck me over, why would it be any different now?" Naruto spat as he slammed his fist against the wall again, tearing the skin on his knuckles and grating the skin on his knuckles into raw, red patches.

Sai knew this was bad, but what he didn't know was how to handle any of it. He had run every possible scenario through his head of what could go wrong on this night, but he never once considered the possibility that Uchiha Sasuke would be here when they got here. It was truly ironic, considering the appearance of Sasuke would cause more devastating consequences to Naruto's progress than any of the other possible outcomes. Even if they somehow did manage to leave Konoha with their money and identities intact, Naruto would take this damage with him for an incalculable amount of time.

Sai could only observe in true, confused pity as Naruto leaned his fore-head against the stone wall, and allowed his anger to simmer into quiet disconsolation.

"Don't forget what we came here for." Sai remarked quietly, checking one last time to make sure no one had heard them. Naruto needed to come down from the anger, and it wouldn't help anything if he vented with Naruto, despite the fact that he was just as shocked and confused. "This doesn't change anything, Naruto. We promised that no matter what we saw here tonight, nothing would phase us. That includes Uchiha."

"...so damn _fine_ without me." Naruto mumbled brokenly, though Sai wasn't really in the mood to be receptive of it.

If past behavior was truly indicative of future behavior, the first thing Naruto would do is judge his self-worth by the whole thing. Sai watched as Naruto, in all of his downcast and dampened glory, once again reduced himself into nothing over one person. _One_ person by the name of Sasuke Uchiha. This was the Naruto he hadn't seen in a long time; the one who jumped to awful conclusions and absolutely reeled when he was hurt by one of his "precious" people.

"None of it makes any sense." Naruto whispered to himself in frustration. "I don't understand."

Pulled from his thoughts by a loud group of laughter passing by, Sai glanced towards the festival again, and back at Naruto.

"We should go." Sai suggested, though vainly so. Naruto simply stared into nothingness and reveled in his own damaged confusion.

Though the timing was bad, Sai felt his irritation rising. How was it that Uchiha Sasuke had _still_ managed to hold this much power over Naruto? How was it that Sasuke, who should have been nothing but a theory or a memory at this point, could still reduce Naruto into nothing? The only explanation lied in the fact that it was because Naruto allowed Sasuke to corrupt him this way. Naruto was always so unapologetic and proud of what he'd done, except for when it came to Sasuke.

"Naruto, we have no idea why Sasuke has returned. Don't make a premature judgment when we have no facts. We couldn't possibly understand why he has returned."

When Naruto merely continued to bury himself into the brick wall, Sai felt his anger flaring. Shoving Naruto off of the wall, Sai forced himself in front of Naruto.

"Get the fuck off, Sai." Naruto spat as he threw Sai's arm off of his shoulder. Ignoring the command, Sai held his arm on the younger boy and peered at him with deep, angry eyes.

"We've come too damn far to give up now. Sasuke has returned. So _what_. That's the reality. It is what it is, and it damn well doesn't change anything. No!" Sai barked as he grabbed Naruto's shirt collar and pulled the blond back in front of him. He ignored Naruto's breathy fury and narrowed eyes. "No one could change him. _No one_. Until you come to terms with that, he will continue to haunt you like this. I'm tired of watching you falter every time his name is so much as _mentioned_. Let. It. **Go**."

Sai felt Naruto's breath come in heated bursts around his face as both boys sustained a stare-down.

"You think it's easy for me to admit that I couldn't help him?" Naruto asked in angry quietness. Sai felt the collar of Naruto's shirt slide out of his hands as a wet blanket seemed to be thrown over the flames of their argument. Sai spoke up in embers:

"If you don't stop blaming yourself for what he did, you are as good as dead." Sai remarked in sobered resolution, and Naruto could only look awkwardly away as Sai reiterated what they both knew and had known for a long time.

"I know." Naruto whispered in frustration. And for the first time, Sai believed him.

Sai's anger somewhat faded with the tension of the atmosphere. He also knew, deep down, that Naruto would have tried to get over Sasuke if he had known how. The problem was, Naruto never wanted to learn how to get over Sasuke, because if he did, it meant that he would have to accept things for the way they were.

Sasuke was Naruto's first bond and the one person that considered Naruto worthy. They both had lived through such dark childhoods, that being forced to work together could have been considered divine intervention when one saw the amount of healing it brought into both of their lives. They had been complete opposites, yet completely compatible. Their friendship had been so unideal, yet so good. They had trusted each other, yet they never admitted it. They looked out for each other, but never acknowledged it. They had an understanding of each other that no one in the village could have rivaled. Their teamwork was flawless, and when Sasuke left for good, everyone in the village considered the end of their friendship a tragedy.

Back then, even Sasuke did.

Coming down from the anger himself, Sai sat down and began to speak out-loud:

"Listen...I too am confused by all of this, and none of it makes any sense. I don't know what that whole scene back there was about, but I do know one thing, and it's the fact that when you weren't baring the burden of all things Sasuke, you were freer than I'd ever seen you before."

Though Naruto was often a trillion miles away these days, Sai continued to speak in the hope that something could reach the corners of that angry, frustrated place he so often dwelled in.

"When I first became part of Team Seven, I didn't think I would ever learn how to feel things the way that everyone else did. But the book that Sakura-San gave me had a quote in it that said, 'Time heals all wounds.' I thought that maybe..." He paused, and Naruto cast him a glance. "...that maybe someday I would be able to live the way that everyone around me lived, if I was just given enough time to learn how. I think I've done well in the years that I've been given."

"You have." Naruto remarked shortly.

"And you can too. You don't have to be bitter with these people because you don't _have_ to stay here, Naruto. If given enough time, you will recover from all of this if you just try_. _I know you care for these people...I do too. But right now, they are poison to you. I always heard stories of what you guys _used_ to be, and apparently, it was great. Take _those_ people with you. Take _those_ memories. I know nothing I say will ever be able to fade the damage that's been done, but it can be better if you give it time."

They both fell into silence, and Sai leaned his head back onto the wall and closed his eyes. "Either way, we were prepared to leave the village no matter what we saw tonight, and that includes Sasuke. Our objectives remain the same, and nothing has changed."

After a few minutes, Sai heard Naruto speak up:

"He said he would never come back. I just wish he would've been . . . consistent." Naruto remarked sadly.

"I know." Sai agreed, and they both fell back onto the water-drenched coals of their own tension.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sound of the bustling streets. Every now and then, children would run past the alleyway laughing and chasing each other. Two giddy teen-aged girls gushed about some ANBU that was supposedly "the most attractive man in all of the Shinobi nations." Every few minutes, a loud, boisterous middle-aged man would advertise something he was selling. Sai mentally pictured these people, and decided to try painting them if he and Naruto ever got out of the village. He was pulled from his thoughts, however, as he heard Naruto shuffle past him, and speak up:

"My greatest wish for Team Seven was always that they would live here and be happy, whether or not I was here with them. I can see now that they are." He commented, though he strained around the words as if they tasted bad and were hard to swallow.

It was at this moment, too, that Sai opened his eyes and saw the delicate hand of a female extended down towards him. He followed it into the sparkling blue eyes of Naruto's henge. Smiling, he took Naruto's hand and was pulled into a standing position.

"I can't promise you that I will ever forget about Sasuke. But I can promise you that I will try." Looking awkwardly at the floor, he spoke through guilty inflection, like a child who had just been scolded: "You're right. I think I'll take the good things with me, and leave this night behind. They're all alive and happy. Thats...thats good enough for me."

Sai smiled. He knew that this new perspective was difficult and bittersweet; but he also knew it was honest.

"Let's go get your money and get out of here." Naruto remarked through his signature, mischievous grin that displayed his bright, slightly-chiseled teeth.

"Let's do this thing."


	6. Cruel Irony: Chapter 6 Confrontation

**_REVISED.  
_**

**_"I handed you a knife and my heart, and now the dream is over."_** - Annabel, Alesana

Appearing again under the red-wash of the paper lanterns, Naruto and Sai left the dreary alleyway and returned with their facades in tact. Ducking around people, Naruto kept his eyes and jaw locked in suppression, all with the intention of avoiding Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi in every way possible. He resolved -though barely- that he would just have to let go of everything and everyone that sapped him of air and life from this point on.

Ducking around the hordes of people, he and Sai turned the last corner that would take them from the plaza, and out of the view of his teammates. He didn't spare them a glance.

If he did, it was like sparing the hurt a second glance.

Though Naruto considered this new acceptance to be a bittersweet pill to swallow, there was hope in everything it implied. He didn't have to forget everything he had loved, and he didn't have to remember everything he didn't. He just had to be okay with where he was and what he was doing.

He just had to be okay.

Naruto stole a quick glance at Sai, who he briefly failed to recognize under the illusion of the long-haired, lavender-clad female henge. Keeping their chakra signatures under heavy suppression, they pretended to be interested in a few random booths. Naruto, who sensed a ramen-stand from thirty yards away, willed himself to be distracted by the other booths as his stomach loudly protested. In an attempt to distract himself, he observed an artists' booth in disinterest and twirled an ivory-colored paint brush around his fingers.

"Sai, why don't you get some of this. . .stuff?" Naruto called as he tossed the paintbrush to the older boy.

"Mm, it's not something I especially need." Sai mumbled as his eyes glazed over the paintbrush in his hands. There were shiny bottles of ink, and soft, unmarked scrolls of paper lined up for sale.

"And?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "This is you're kind of thing. Live it up."

"Naruto, we have to get to Suna or –"

"Or what? With the small fortune you've been storing, we could go to Suna five times and back. You need the paper and whatever other art shit you use. Get some." Naruto explained a little too loudly. He noted the unimpressed expressions of some middle aged women with their kids glaring at him. It probably wasn't the most tactful thing to be swearing while in the body of a seventeen year old girl.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt." Sai remarked as he ran his hand over the soft paper scrolls.

"Awesome. Besides, I'm starving. I'm about to attack that ramen stand over there."

"If you insist. Meet me back here in ten minutes." Sai remarked as he reached for a large paper scroll.

And with that, Naruto abandoned Sai to peruse the various ramen stands.

As he surveyed the stands, he was careful to avoid anyone he might know. The familiar aromas were enough to send him over the edge. Living as a rogue with Sai meant eating significantly sub-standard meals - uninspiring vegetable dishes, watery miso soups, and occasionally even wild animals. Nothing would ever be as good as Ichiraku, but Ichiraku was too close to home - both literally and metaphorically.

He took in the sounds and sights of the bright colors and happy people walking around. Little girls in pretty kimonos ran around while women and men shopped and played games.

"Here is good." Naruto remarked to himself as his nose caught the scent of a particularly enticing ramen stand. Taking a seat on one of the many stools, he placed his order. The cook and staff were unfamiliar, but he almost preferred it that way.

As he placed his order, he noted a small figure jump up into the stool next to him. He surveyed a small girl humming and cheerfully bobbing her legs back and forth. She had to have been four years old at the most, and her hair was a wild mass of mousy-brown misfortune. She observed Naruto from the corner of her eye, but looked away indignantly when she caught his eye. She wasn't like the other little girls her age who seemed to be perpetually floating on air.

His thoughts were interrupted as a steaming bowl of ramen slid in front of him. He looked at the porcelain bowl in nothing short of euphoria. He picked up his chop-sticks and shoved a mouthful of the noodles into his mouth.

"_Mother of Kami this is heaven in a bowl." _He thought as he raked the soup into his mouth. "_I'll never leave you again, my love! Not now, not ev-"_

"It's not very lady-like to slurp, you know."

With the chopsticks mid-shovel and hiw mouth gaping open, Naruto cast his eyes to the little girl who had stopped humming, and instead peered at him with a face full of innocence. When he realized how gross it probably looked to have a graceful woman shoveling food into her mouth, he quietly placed his chopsticks on the side of the bowl and wiped his mouth.

"No, I guess it's not. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways."

"You're welcome." She remarked politely and began humming again. Just as Naruto was about to resume his all-out gorge-fest, the girl spoke up again.

"Why do you have cat whiskers painted on your face?"

Naruto froze.

Of course he would have left the whiskers visible. Of course he would have forgotten to conceal the one trademark feature that distinguished him more than anything else. _"Of course I'm a fucking idiot."_ He thought as he schemed some kind of believable excuse. As he thought about it more, however, he let himself relax when he remembered that this girl would have been a baby the last time he had lived in Konoha. He would have to hide his face until he could correct the henge, but this girl was no real threat.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" She asked, her face scrunching in offense.

_"This girl's curious." _He thought to himself. _"Might as well have some fun."_

"They're not made of paint." He said as he smirked at the little girl. The little girls nit eyebrows pulled back in surprise.

"You have a tattoo?" She asked in disbelief.

"They're not tattoos. They're _real_." He said mysteriously as he leaned in close to her face.

"Nah-ah! My brother told me that people can't have tails or whiskers!"

"Oh really?" Naruto asked playfully. "Well guess what? Your brother straight-up lied to you. Watch." He said as he took the girls hand and put them to his cheek. He watched as the girl's eyes lit in surprise as he guided her hand across the darkened scars.

"You're not a liar!" She squealed in delight.

"Of course no-" But before he could continue, he was abruptly interrupted as the girl stood up in her chair, turned around and squealed.

"Konohamaru-niichan! This girl has whisker marks and they're _real_. Come here!"

Naruto blanched in horror as the person who the little girl had flagged down across the plaza looked over at him. He put his head down and tried to hide his face, but he caught a glimpse of the undeniable face of a much older Konohamaru talking with a few people and looking their way.

_"Since when did Konohamaru have a sister?" _He thought as he began to conjure a way to get out of there without seeming suspicious. If Konohamaru saw him, he would be discovered in an instant. Konohamaru was most familiar with his Sexy Jutsu and would undoubtedly recognize Naruto. _"Shit! We used to have Sexy Jutsu __**battles **__for crying out loud! He'll know who I am the second he sees me!"_

Naruto cocked his head slightly to see if Konohamaru was coming, and felt the nausea ripple through his gut when he realized that the people Konohamaru had stopped to talk to were Sasuke and Sakura. Kakashi wasn't with them.

Even though the henge he had created had a different hairstyle, he knew that every one of them would recognize the whisker marks if they were given the chance to remember. The Kyuubi had incorporated subtle genetic changes into his body over time, but nothing that would have held water to the whisker marks. They were too much of a trademark, and not enough of a simple facial feature.

Although he had planned this spot because of how far away it was from Sasuke and Sakura, he knew ultimately that some god out there hated him and loved to metaphorically piss on him now and again. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid, and it was exactly what was happening.

Keeping calm, Naruto ducked low into himself as all three of them, Sasuke included, began to walk towards him: serious expressions across their faces. The little girl was still calling them over, the enthusiasm in her voice only rising at the prospect that three adults would be that interested in what she had discovered, while she failed to realize that they saw a history in the whisker marks that she wouldn't know.

Naruto knew he couldn't do anything Shinobi-like to escape the situation, because they would immediately suspect something and act on the primal instincts. An unknown nineteen-year-old girl warping away when attention is called to her would undoubtedly attract suspicion . On the other hand, if he began to sprint away, they would think he was an intruder up to something sketchy. Either way, they would let the ANBU know, and before he knew it, an entire fleet would be after him in nine seconds flat.

Standing up quietly, he placed his money on the table and let his hair fall around his face. As he stepped out of the food stand, he kept his face downward and his chakra low.

"Hey, where are you going?" The girl asked, her eyes following him in concern.

He ignored her and tried to blend in with the crowd when a hand grabbed his and jerked him backwards. He quickly pulled his hand out of the little girl's grasp, but not before a shadow appeared on the ground beside him.

"Hey, who are. . ." Konohamaru looked into his eyes, and Naruto cursed as the color drained from Konohamaru's face."You. That color." Konohamaru gasped as he scanned Naruto's face.

Naruto quickly glanced at Sakura and was unsurprised to find her thin-lipped, and her face scrunched in guarded disbelief. He didn't dare look at Sasuke, but it didn't really matter, because if Sasuke had triggered the Sharingan, the henge would be rendered invalid and all hell would break loose regardless. Either Sasuke had seen through the henge and had decided to lay low considering the environment, or, by some miraculous circumstances, Sasuke had not triggered the Sharingan.

It was silent for what seemed a small eternity, but Naruto could tell they were running the questions, concerns and confusion through their mind. They would be reprimanded by higher authorities if they arrested a citizen, but at the same time, the circumstances were too weird and his features were too familiar not to be recognizable.

_"I should have used different genetic features. This was a mistake."_ Naruto thought as he warily regarded Konohamaru, who he could tell wanted so badly to ask him. He wasn't the only one in the world with blond hair and blue eyes. "_The damn whisker marks_."

"I'm afraid I must be leaving." Naruto commented as he took a step backwards.

"Wait." Came the voice of Konohamaru, and Naruto stiffened as a hand was placed firmly on his shoulder. He didn't look back.

"You. . ." Konohamaru choked in a whisper. "...Naruto?"

Just as Naruto opened his mouth to give some sort of answer, he felt his body slam into the ground as smoke clouded his vision.

He quickly glanced to the side and noticed Sai lying on the floor next to him, panting and sweating. He looked around and noted that they were in a dark, vacated apartment building that was covered in cobwebs.

"What was _that_, Naruto? Did you just run up and introduce yourself?" Sai gasped through staggered breaths.

"No! It wasn't my fault! I'll explain later because we _have_ to get out of here! You pulled a full-on warp in the middle of that plaza, Sai. If we weren't suspicious then, we sure as hell are now!"

"I had to get you out of there. It's better for them to think of us as intruder's rather than find out who we are. There was no other way to get you out of there, and if were up to you, you'd still be in a stare-down with them." Sai replied quickly as he dropped to his knees and began knocking on the floor-boards below them.

Naruto thought of replying, but when he realized the severity of the situation they were in, he dropped to his knees and began tearing the floorboards up as well. Thankfully Sai's apartment had been abandoned for a year now, thus giving them room to be as loud as possible.

"Sai, where the hell did you hide this thing?" Naruto asked as the seconds turned into minutes.

"Just keep looking. It's in here somewhere."

Naruto began to snap the floor boards, sending splinters of wood across the room. This continued for another five minutes, and he knew their time was running short as word was inevitably spreading that two intruders had been spotted in the plaza. If Sasuke or the Rookie Nine didn't recognize their chakra first, Kakashi's tracking dogs and Pakkun would.

"Found it." Sai replied calmly yet urgently, rising to his feet. Naruto watched as he guided a dusty black box out from underneath the floor boards.

"Let's go." He replied quickly. Just as they were about to spring out of the open window and on to the roof, the door to Sai's apartment slammed open and fell to the floor. As Naruto prepared to spring out of the window, he was abruptly rendered paralyzed as a kunai buried itself into his lower back. Stumbling, Naruto fell onto one knee and hissed in pain.

"Stop." Came the voice of an ANBU, and Naruto was unsurprised to find Sasuke and Sakura there with the ANBU. He cast Sai a worried glance, and ignored the blood running in trails down his leg. "There are ANBU surrounding this building from every angle. If you leave, you will be killed immediately and without hesitation. ANBU personnel are surrounding every exit to Konoha. The odds are against you, so any attempt at escape is futile. Back away from the window and we won't hurt you."

Naruto and Sai turned to face them, and Naruto was surprised to find Sasuke standing beside the ANBU.

"Dispel your jutsus and explain to me your names and places of origin."

Naruto cast Sai a concerned glance, and Sai merely returned the gesture with a blink of his left eye. Eyes narrowing in understanding, Naruto recognized it as a signal for the escape tactic he and Sai had developed in the last two years of conning other villages. It usually worked, though he couldn't remember trying it when he had a five-inch gash in his back. Straightening himself, he swiped his blood-stained hand across the hem of his pants and willed himself to ignore the pain.

"I'll ask you one more time to dispel your jutsu's. Anytime after that I will be forced to take action." The ANBU explained, his voice now with an irritated rigidity that hadn't been there before. Tension was rising, and the prospect of civility was dissolving.

"Uchiha Sasuke" Sai said flatly, cocking his head slightly to the right. The expression on Sasuke's face went from seriousness to confusion, then settled somewhere between surprise and anger. Naruto felt his chakra plummet into a darker cesspool, and it usually only happened when someone knew something the Uchiha didn't.

"Who are you and how do you know me?" Sasuke demanded. Sai didn't falter, but instead continued speaking.

"I think you already know who I am, Sasuke-_kun_. I can see what's on your mind, and I'll just go ahead and tell you. . ." He smiled darkly. "..you're right." He explained through a short laugh.

Sasuke blanched, and Naruto almost winced as the room surged in hostility. If there was one thing Sasuke wasn't used to, it was being challenged or threatened.

Naruto observed in disbelief as Sai effortlessly confirmed who was. He was being uncharacteristically bold, but he knew it was to show that he wouldn't back down from the situation. He knew Sai was acting theatrically to distract them from what they were both planning to do.

Sasuke stiffened as Sai stepped closer and spoke up again:

"But still, it would never hurt to make _sure_, right?" .

"Stand still." The ANBU ordered, but Sai ignored. Naruto watched in confusion as Sasuke abruptly held his hand in front of the ANBU's face, willing him to stand down. This ANBU seemed to be the only one in the room not aware of their true identities, and obviously still assumed they were some kind of generic intruder. He didn't know that Sai and Naruto could both realistically destroy him.

He also wasn't aware of the severely dark, tragic and disconsolate history that swirled heavily in the air.

Naruto tensed as Sai began to walk circles around the scathing Uchiha.

"If you really want to know, how about you utilize that miraculous Sharingan of yours, _Uchiha_?"

And as soon as he said it, the room jolted as Sai was slammed into the wall. With a fistful of raven hair, Sasuke wrenched Sai's head backwards and held a kunai dangerously close to his throat.

"You were my replacement years ago, weren't you?" Sasuke spat through gritted teeth.

Sai, who had somehow mustered the courage to simply laugh in Sasuke's face, dispelled the henge and revealed his true form. Sakura covered her mouth in shock, and Sai spoke again:

"So if I'm your replacement from so many years ago, and Sakura-San is right there, then we're only really missing one person..." Sai commented as he cocked his head towards Naruto. Naruto felt the whole room turn their gazes towards him. He cast a wary eye towards Sai, and that's when he saw it-

A blink.

"Naruto!" Sai shouted loudly, and as he did this, Naruto dispelled the henge. He heard Sakura gasp sharply as Sai vanished in a puff of smoke under Sasuke's kunai, and saw the incredulous expression of Sasuke glaring at him as he flipped backwards outside of the window, ignored the intensifying pain in his back, and disappeared into the midnight blue.

It was at this time that Naruto knew how horrifically this would all probably end. He knew how to escape a village. He knew the standard ANBU hideouts and how to avoid them. He knew how to escape guards and ANBU and shinobi. But he didn't know how to escape his past, and it was the same past that he and Sai had just unearthed and re-written in the faces of the only people who had memorized.

Sasuke and Sakura knew he was alive now, and Naruto didn't know what that meant. He didn't know what the next hour would hold for him.

But he did know, in perfect clarity, that they shouldn't have done this. This night had been destroyed in more ways than one, and now, they were light-years less secure than they had been when they started.

Even if they were somehow able to escape in one piece, they had completely and utterly unraveled a lie that they had spent two years solidifying.

"Please let this go." Naruto whispered as he landed on the tin roof and disappeared into the night.


	7. Cruel Irony: Chapter 7 Relapse

**_"Years spent watching in silence as your illness spilled onto page. Those were the last days I spent with you. Before you left. Before he came."_ - Annabel, Alesana**

Naruto's feet slid down the roof as the cold air filled his lungs. He quickly shot a glance backwards and saw the smoke from Sai's smoke bomb billowing out of the window.

"Dammit Sai. Where are you..." He whispered as he leapt onto a roof below him and scanned his eyes across the rooftops around him. With each leap, the pain in his back surged up his spine, and his vision wavered in and out of blurriness.

"Thank Kami." Naruto whispered as he made out the faint image of Sai, panting and with his hands on his knees, supporting himself on a building about fifty yards in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked quickly, appearing beside the older boy.

"Yeah, let's go."

"That was too damn close." Naruto remarked as he and Sai charged towards Konoha's gate, the wind wildly ruffling their hair in all directions.

"Don't get your hopes up. I've already pin-pointed fifteen different chakras."

"Shit."

Picking up their speed, Naruto and Sai continued running until they saw the Konoha gate in the distance. They could sense the presence of several ANBU following behind them, though the real problem was avoiding the ANBU that were stationed outside of Konoha's walls. The ANBU inside had an obligation to remain as quiet as possible, with little to no Ninjutsu at all. The ANBU outside could engage in whatever warfare they deemed necessary.

As the gate approached, Naruto and Sai leapt off of the last building and skidded to a halt on the rooftop right above the Konoha gate. There were at least three ANBU who guarded the gates at all times of the day; but looking down, they observed only one guard and figured the other two had been sent to the outskirts of the village to wait for them.

"There's only one. Let's escape on different sides of the gate so he becomes disoriented. We'll meet up in the woods." Naruto explained quickly; his breath puffing in short, white bursts into the cold air. "Is that oka-" He stopped abruptly, however, when he glanced at Sai's profile from the side.

It may have been due to the pain, but for a brief second, Naruto swore it was Sasuke standing beside him and not Sai. Sai's porcelain skin, raven hair and onyx eyes had always been a striking reminder of Sasuke, and he found that when darkness shrouded the rest of Sai's features, it was eerily easy to confuse the two.

"Right. Go." Sai whispered, bringing Naruto back into the reality of the situation. They both traveled to opposite ends of the wall, and shot forward over the wall and into the heavy forest.

They were out, but nowhere near safe.

Naruto heard the guard stationed at the gate below him yell to someone, but as quickly as he said it, Naruto had already buried himself deep into the navy blue of the woods. He jumped higher and higher into the canopy of the tree's and felt the leaves and branches rake across his face body as he shot through them.

_"300 feet._" Naruto calculated tiredly to himself, though with some difficulty as the disorientation increased. He pinpointed five chakra trails behind him and figured there was another wave of ANBU after that set. As he continued to move forward, he blanched when several waves of nausea riddle through his body.

Slowing down, he felt his limbs become increasingly harder to move as his eyes now settled into a permanent state of blurriness. "_What the fuck is wrong with me?" _He thought as a shudder wracked his body, and his heart rate slowed. His body became heavy, and the waves of nausea only hit him harder.

Shaking it off, he continued to clamber deeper into the woods.

It was a few minutes later when he and Sai finally met up.

"They're fifty yards behind us." Sai called to him, though Naruto was having difficulty seeing him through the clouded vision.

"Y-yeah." Naruto replied weakly as he blinked slowly, willing the blurriness to dissolve. The nausea only intensified, and he felt he had to manually breathe in order to regulate himself. He was becoming lethargic, and he began to suspect why it was happening.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sai called, allowing himself to fall into speed beside the younger boy.

"I don't-"

But before he could finish, his body fell sloppily onto a large branch below him.

"Naruto, what's wrong with you? Is it the Kyuubi?" Sai asked as he dropped in front of the ailing boy. His chest was heaving, and his lips had taken on a sickly blue color.

"The kunai." Naruto rasped weakly, and Sai stepped backwards when Naruto braced himself on the ledge of the branch and threw up. Sai observed in panicked confusion as Naruto looked at him through blood-shot eyes and blue lips, and spoke up groggily:

"It was poisoned." He whispered in misery as another bought of sickness overtook him. Sai opened his mouth to reply, but shut it when the symptoms made sense with what he was seeing. The nausea and fatigue made sense, anyway; but the younger boy's blue lips and staggered breathing were indicative of oxygen depletion, which didn't make sense at all.

"Why can't you breathe?" Sai asked as he considered what his next move should be.

"K-kyuubi." Naruto replied weakly, and Sai grimaced in disdain. The damage done by the Kyuubi had severely impaired Naruto's heart anyway, and when it was coupled with an unknown poison, the effects were probably lethal.

Sai scanned the surrounding woodlands to identify the chakra trails, and calculated how much time there was left when compared with the speed of the chakra trails flying at them.

"Are you able to wal-" Sai tried to ask, but stopped when he observed the sheer misery that was written on the younger boy's uncharacteristically pale face. The blue in his eyes contrasted sharply with the blood-shot scleras, and his body was shaking almost hysterically. "_He can't go on like this." _Sai mentally concluded.

"S-Sai. Get o-out of here." Naruto murmured through the tremors, his eyes pleading with Sai in the way that his voice wasn't able to.

"No." Sai replied quickly, dropping to his knees in front of the boy.

"Y-You p-promised." Naruto replied darkly, thrusting as much power into that sentence as his failing body was capable of producing.

It was then that Sai remembered the promise he made to Naruto on the night they left. He had sworn to Naruto that if it came down to a life and death scenario between the two of them, Sai would abandon him and not look back. It was a mutual agreement, but the chance had never risen until now.

At that time, Sai probably would have left him, but now it just wasn't that easy anymore.

Sai looked down at Naruto in pity and observed the younger boy's locked jaw and glaring eyes. Naruto was livid, but was currently too sick to be any more verbal about it.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving." Sai replied, and Naruto cursed violently.

And just as Sai had anticipated, four ANBU burst through the tree's and held positions on all sides of them. Sai, though resolved to stay regardless of what happened, slowly stood up as two more ANBU burst through the trees.

"You are at a loss. Konoha personnel are now surrounding you from all directions. Should you attempt to escape, we will be forced to kill you immediately and without hesitation. Drop your weapons now, or risk death." The ANBU called as authoritatively as he could.

Sai looked around and saw that neither Sakura, Kakashi nor Sasuke were there. These ANBU were nameless and impersonal.

This was the bitter end to everything they had planned, and the one outcome that they had so desperately tried to avoid. Sai was to the point of collapse, Naruto was dangerously close to death, their identities had been discovered and they were proven to be alive, and there was nowhere left to go with Konoha's entire fleet of ANBU surrounding them.

At this realization, Sai exhaustively held his arms in the air and muttered the two words that made both of them sick to hear:

"We surrender."

**(One Day Later)**

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and tried to concentrate on what was around him. He didn't remember anything, but it certainly wasn't the first time. He was numb and extremely disoriented, though a splitting headache pulsed against his skull and urged him to wake up.

As his vision adjusted to his surroundings, he characterized a lilac wall with an indigo-rimmed clock ticking softly. There was some kind of generic, floral picture on the wall, and a chart with numbers below it.

_"This is...where **is** this_?" He thought as he struggled to make sense of the environment he was in.

**Beep Beep Beep Beep**

"What is _that_?" He thought groggily as he turned his head to the noise. Straining towards the soft beeping, he tried to characterize the bulky machine beside him that pulsated with his heartbeat. He grimaced when he saw a small sliver of the silver IV needle digging into his arm.

_"This is a hospital. Why am I-"_

He froze.

It was then that he remembered.

He and Sai's return to Konoha, the picture of Team Seven, The festival, Sasuke and Sakura, Sai's apartment, ANBU and poison and the forest and:

"Shit!" He muttered as he tore off the IV tubes and jolted out of bed. The instant he stood up, however, he fell to his knees when the stab wound on his back shot pain up through his spine, and the blood drained from his head sending lights across his line of vision. Bracing his arm on the side of the bed, he held his hand on the wound and cringed when blood lightly permeated through the thick bandage.

Carefully pulling on his shirt that had been placed on the dresser, he began to open the window when he was stopped by a voice coming from the door.

"It's no use."

He turned, only to find Sai standing in the doorway with his arms crossed: a serious expression plastered on his face.

"Sai! You're..." He found himself at a loss for words, however, when details of the night before became clearer. "Fuck you, Sai! I told you to leave me there, and now- and now..."

"And now it's over." Sai commented quietly, and it hit Naruto with the force of a freight train.

"Why didn't you leave me, Sai? You could have escaped. You could have avoided this. You-"

"...you were bleeding to death, and I didn't have the energy to fight them off. I was forced to surrender, so there's no point in running away now. They know everything."

Naruto stared in shock at Sai as the hum of the disconnected heart monitor pierced the deafening silence.

"How much did you tell them?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Not everything. What we came here for, when we left, who we were. I didn't tell them the circumstances surrounding our departure two years ago. I told Hokage-Sama that that was your question to answer." Sai explained, his lips settling in a thin line.

Naruto then slowly sat down onto his bed, and felt the reality of the situation fall onto him like a blanket made of lead.

"If you're mad at me, I can deal with that, but I won't apologize for staying." Sai commented, breaking the stiff silence.

Naruto felt his fists clench, but relaxed when he realized that the damage had already been done. They were past the point of redemption, and the news of their identities was probably swirling through Konoha with devastating speed.

This was really bad. From every angle, it was going to be unavoidably impossible.

"How long have I been out?" Naruto asked in frustration while massaging his temples. His ire was now turning into uneasy sobriety.

"Twenty-six hours." Came the reply, and Naruto grunted in frustration. The news was still new at this point, and probably swirling through the village like some kind of contagious disease.

"When are we leaving?" Naruto asked firmly, though with some skepticism. Sai shifted his position.

"You tell me."

Just as Naruto opened his mouth to reply, however, the silence in the room was filled by the sound of footsteps running down the hallway, and stopping in front of the door. Both boys turned in tandem when the door opened, revealing the pink hair and glassy eyes of a long-lost friend.

She abruptly stopped in the doorway, and Naruto saw that her eyes and cheeks had been stained red and raw by the kind of tears that accompany many hours of slow, silent tears.

_Where do we even begin?_

Naruto had no clue as to what to say, or even if it was appropriate to say anything at all. Her eyes, brimming with tears, seemed to scan his body in an attempt to rationalize if both of them were actually there or not.

"Hey Sakura-Chan." He muttered quietly, his eyes narrowing with a soft smile.

The tears that threatened on the brim of her eyes began to fall freely now, and she inched closer and with the caution of someone who had had too many nightmares, and not enough dreams. She walked with the heaviness of someone who had known too much leaving, and not enough staying. Someone who had known too many promises, and not enough of the keeping of them. She was someone who had known Sasuke and Naruto, and thus had known suffering.

And just like always, she embraced him anyway.

He was still wary because of what he had seen at the festival, but she was always a soft place to fall, and he was always forgiving. The hurt of Team Seven's apparent re-establishment rose like bile in his throat, but he had too many skeletons himself.

She was warm, and he needed it.

"We thought you were dead. Why did you do this?" She asked brokenly.

"Sakura-Chan, I-"

What could he even say?

"I couldn't even begin to tell you."

She looked surprised and somewhat hurt by this declaration, and he could tell she wanted more of an answer than what he had given. It didn't matter though. He wouldn't tell anyone.

"But I'm here now. That's all that matters, right?" He asked through one of his signature grins, and he saw her shoulders relax.

Her eyes lit up and she laughed between the tears.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to see that smile. How have you been?" She asked cheerily, and the question sounded kind of morbid, as she was obviously not going to ask about his change in appearance.

Her presence, like it always had, harvested warmth throughout his entire being. In her eyes lay the days of Team Seven, and what it meant to be part of something that seemed so flawless and concrete. Sakura's love, though time and trial had chiseled at her optimism, would always represent the life of three thirteen-year-olds before the damage. Before the lies, the pain, the betrayal and the tragedy.

Her love would always be a reminder of the days before Sasuke sold himself to the devil and threw them all away. Her love was before Kakashi retreated into himself, before her spirit was crushed and sapped dry, and before he himself just ran from it all.

"I'm good. Just been roaming the country side with Sai, here. And you? What have you done for the past two years?" He asked. The mention of the word "years" sounded foreign to his ears and he saw Sakura wince when he worded it that way.

"I'm now Lady Tsunade's med-student assistant. Most of our friends are now Jounin, and Shikamaru is even in training to be an ANBU. Iruka and many of the older Chuunin and Jounin are on a reconstruction mission in Kirigakure. Tsunade is still as stressed as ever. Oh! Kakashi has taken on another team of Genin, and Sasuke is-"

She stopped, and Naruto knew exactly why. The way she spoke of Sasuke was the way she had referred to him years ago when things were perfect, and Sasuke was always somewhere close by.

Even though the mention of Sasuke's name was enough to darken his mood, Naruto met her halfway with a smile of understanding. From a distance, she knew Sasuke's return looked terrible, immoral, impossible and inexcusable.

"Well, I guess you know… Sasuke came back." She explained awkwardly as she fiddled with the bottom of her shirt.

"Yeah, that was...that was definitely evident." He tried, but abandoned the humor when he realized that it wasn't convincing, simply because they both knew that he wasn't joking. In the end, though, what else on planet earth could he possibly say to her?

He glanced at Sai in an attempt to change the subject, but frowned when he noted that the darker boy was absent from the room.

"Listen Naruto, Sasuke. . .he- "

But before she could finish, a knock on the door interrupted their thoughts as a mousy looking nurse bopped in holding a clip board and a file. He hoped the sigh of relief wasn't as obvious as it felt.

"Uzumaki-san? It's nice to see you're feeling better. I have received word that Hokage-Sama wishes to speak with you immediately."

"Hai!" Naruto replied as he turned back to Sakura. She looked awkwardly downcast.

Naruto knew she was struggling to find the words to explain to him what had prompted Sasuke's seemingly "happy" return. Maybe there was a simple reason for Sasuke's return. Maybe, by some _seriously_ miraculous circumstances, it had all just been a big, ridiculous misunderstanding, and maybe Naruto really had no reason to feel so disconsolate about it. But either way, it didn't matter to him. He wasn't ready to deal with Sasuke, only because he thought he had already dealt with Sasuke two years before when the damned Uchiha sold them for a power trip, and left their memory for dead. That damage would take more time to deal with than he was willing to spend. How Kakashi and Sakura had been capable of swallowing the years of bitter reality was nothing short of incomprehensible to Naruto. He wasn't sure if he could accept the explanation for why and how Sasuke was able to return. He wasn't even sure if he would be here long enough to hear that explanation.

He hoped, anyway.

"Can I see you later?" He asked brightly, turning back to her. She smiled a genuine smile.

"Of course! And Naruto!"

He stopped and looked back at her.

"Welcome home." She said sweetly.

"Thanks Sakura-Chan." he said as he flashed her a thumbs-up, and cursed the fact that that sentence was what he had heard in too many dreams over the last two years.

As Naruto followed the nurse into the lobby, he wondered what he would say to Tsunade. She would question, scrutinize, and never understand why someone who promised to protect them all would leave behind a legacy that he never fulfilled. She wouldn't understand, and neither would the others, but it was for the best.

The Kyuubi was out of their league, and he would rather die than ask for help, because he knew that if he revealed why he left, they would try to save him and risk their lives in the process. He wouldn't allow it.

_"I'll have to make up a lie." _He thought as he continued to make his way to her office.

Naruto knew lying wasn't the most secure choice. She was the Hokage. She was an expert in all fields of jutsu and was trained to see through dishonesty. She would prod and scrutinize and probably demand to know the truth; but, once again, it didn't matter. If she believed him or not was irrelevant, because he was going to leave again. He would give her an answer and hope it would suffice. It didn't change anything.

It couldn't.

As he traversed another flight of stairs, he realized that he must have been on heavy painkillers that were wearing off, because the wound in his back was sending shockwaves of pain throughout his bod_y._

_"Damn, since when was that part of the ANBU regiment? This is overkill._" He thought as he walked slowly to avoid irritating the still-fresh wound. He didn't know who had thrown the kunai, but had naturally assumed it had either been the ANBU or Sasuke. Probably Sasuke, if he really thought about it.

After ten minutes, he finally entered the Hokage Tower and slowly walked up the stairs. He passed six doors and came to the last turn, where he eyed her office door a mere twelve feet away; the golden plaque "Hokage" glimmering next to hit. He had been in this room a thousand times before, in a time when he could casually walk in and out. Those days seemed so far gone.

He stopped as his hand hovered over the door-knob.

_"It's now or never."_ He thought as he carefully turned the handle.

But he was forced to stop, however, as the door opened from the other side, revealing a figure stepping out into the hallway right in front of him.

He stepped backwards to make room for said figure, but cringed at what he saw.

There, standing eye-level with him, was the face of Sasuke Uchiha.


	8. Cruel Irony: Chapter 8 Inevitable

**REVISED**

_"This is the starting of my greatest fear._" - Make It Without You, Andrew belle

Though it had been two years, Naruto found that the eternal black in Sasuke's eyes seemed to be at least a hundred years old. Everyone in their generation had seen morbidly bad things. It was the life of a Shinobi, but somehow, Naruto didn't think that it could atone for the level of trial that Sasuke's eyes held.

It was the first time he had really been able to observe Sasuke, and he found himself surprised by what he saw. Sasuke was no longer taller than him. They were the same height; completely equal and facing each other at eye-level. It only served as another notch in the bedpost of ways that they were so frustratingly similar.

Sasuke's raven hair still jutted in angles, but it seemed longer and softer. His skin, still the proverbial reflection of December snow, was as breathtaking as it had been back then.

Sasuke glared, and Naruto glared back. If any words could have been verbalized, they wouldn't have been able to express the amount of confusion, hurt, misunderstanding, anger and undisclosed memories that both boys held for each other. He saw the flashbacks, the fights, the Forest of Death, the Chuunin exams, a curse mark and the devil who put it there. He saw The Valley of the End, the caves and the chance meetings that rose every few months. He remembered the bloodied eyes and the manic laughter and the sickness he felt when Sasuke wore his insanity like a medal of honor. He remembered caring so deeply for Sasuke, and actively trying to blur all of Sasuke's sin into something simple that he could fix if he just tried hard enough.

But above all else, he remembered when he had had to stop trying to redeem Sasuke; because trying to redeem Sasuke was the same thing as betraying yourself. He remembered when he resolved that the only way he would ever be able to accept things for the way they were, was if he put all of his hope, energy and faith into the idea that Sasuke would save himself.

In that split second, Naruto felt the warmth of Sasuke's breath sting his face as he turned quickly, and swept past him without a word. Naruto didn't dare look back, but simply waited for the footsteps to fade.

And just like that, he was gone. Like always.

_"If this is how it's going to be, then I need to leave as soon as possible."_ Naruto thought bitterly.

He would never admit it, but it hurt. And the only way to justify that hurt was to turn it into something productive like anger. He was over the shock of Sasuke's return now. Now he was just pissed off, and it was something he could deal with better.

Putting it all behind him, Naruto finally entered the office and felt his heart beat quicken when he saw her silhouette peering out of the window. He took a few steps forward, but she never turned to meet him.

"Tsunade?" Naruto asked. She didn't reply. _"I guess I just need to brace myself for a hell of a lot of this kind of interaction."_ He tried again:

"You...wanted to speak with me?"

"Why have you done this?" She asked curtly, her voice cracking like thunder through a deserted prairie. She remained facing outside of the window with her arms folded behind her back."Sai refuses to speak with me about this, so please enlighten me on why you both have done this."

He paused.

"I. . .don't know."

"You. . .don't _know_?" She asked, clearly unimpressed. Naruto's face faltered as he realized the lack of substance that answer held.

_**"'I don't know?' **__Real smooth, Naruto. She'll definitely accept an answer as sad as that." _He thought as he verbally smacked himself for giving such a lame answer.

Naruto waited for a response that never came. He listened to the ticking clock in the background as the atmosphere began to grow heavy with awkwardness. He figured he'd better get used to this awkwardness, seeing as this is what it would be like on the off-chance that he met someone he knew. That was assuming they didn't kill him on the spot, which he probably deserved.

Yes, the whole situation was fucking bizarre. Yes, he looked like something straight out of the bowels of hell. There was enough potential awkwardness in all of it to generate its own chakra.

"Listen Tsunade Baa-chan, I. . ." He cleared his throat. ""It's not what you. . .if I could. . ." _"What the hell? What language am I speaking?"_

She cocked her head slightly back toward him.

"I literally have no idea how to approach this issue with you. I am at a total and complete loss for words and understanding." She remarked flatly.

"I know the feeling..."

"Shut up." She barked as she abruptly turned around and embraced him. He felt the wound on his back send shock-waves of pain through his body, but he didn't care. He saw her tear-stained cheeks as they both struggled to find words to say. He said the only thing that could amend what they both felt.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. She stepped back and looked at him with troubled eyes.

"Sorry? You're _sorry_? We thought you were _dead_, Naruto! Six months I issued ANBU to look for you, but those bodies - we thought you had been killed, and everyone...but you've been roaming the planet for Kami _knows_ why, you're a classified _missing nin_, and all you have to say is 'I'm _sorry_?'

"Uh...that's weak, isn't it?" He watched as her mouth fell slightly open, then close as she placed her hand on her hip and laughed in disbelief.

"You are _definitely_ still the same old Naruto." She commented as she rolled her eyes.

"Of course!" Naruto said through a false sense of enthusiasm.

Tsunade stepped back and looked at him. Naruto became aware of her sudden scrutiny, and felt himself grow insecure. She ran a hand through his hair.

"Except these new features. What's the story on this new look? Don't you think this is a tad extravagant?" She asked as she caught one of the red ends of his hair between her pointer and middle finger. Naruto blanked.

"Uh...it's not my fault! I had to make myself unrecognizable because _somebody_ sent my file and picture to **every damn village **on this side of the planet! I couldn't go anywhere for the first five months without being recognized."

"It looks ridiculous, Naruto."

He deadpanned.

"If by 'ridiculous' you mean 'bad ass" then yes, it does look extremely ridiculous." He said through a playful smirk.

"You're unbelievable. But still, these marks are..." She trailed off as she ran her thumb across the blackened whisker marks on his face; her eyes narrowing in concern as she did so. Naruto tensed.

There was the scrutiny. She was the Hokage. She couldn't be fooled that easily. She finally stepped back and looked him straight in the eyes, pushing her doubts away for another time.

"Sai has refused to explain the reasons for your departure two years ago. Do you want to tell me why?" She asked as the atmosphere descended into hell.

"Not really..." He tried.

"Naruto."

He couldn't avoid this forever, which meant he had to utilize his best acting skills.

"I just...needed some time away, I guess. My state of mind wasn't the best, and everything that happened with Jiraiya and Sasuke..." He stopped speaking, and she saw the conflicting emotions written on his face.

"So I guess you already saw him?" She asked, not bothering to consider his feelings.

"Yeah." He replied quietly, hurt evident in his words.

"It's not what you think, Naruto."

"I know."

She was somewhat surprised, and yet not really. The Uchiha was Naruto's stumbling block even before she knew Sasuke. It was his greatest downfall, whether he saw it that way or not. She knew Naruto had spent years chasing the Uchiha, only to find that he returned after he stopped trying. It may have seemed that way to Naruto, but that wasn't the case.

"You know?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I know there's probably some kind of explanation, but in all honesty, I don't what it to matter to me anymore."

Well that was certainly unexpected, she had to admit. Naruto always had strong opinions and feelings for everyone and everything, especially Sasuke Uchiha. When she was first informed Sai and Naruto's return and how it happened, she was fully prepared to explain to Naruto the reasons and stipulations for how and why Sasuke had returned. It was way more complex than Naruto was giving it credit for.

As far as she had known, Sasuke was someone that Naruto would have never grown indifferent to. She didn't especially love Sasuke Uchiha, so under different circumstances Naruto's indifference towards Sasuke would have been a relief. But indifference was something that didn't exist in Naruto's world.

It didn't use to, anyway.

She spoke again:

"This sudden apathy of yours regarding the Uchiha is somewhat surprising to me. I understand there's a dark history here, but once upon a time, that history never mattered to you. What made this fire die?" She asked in perfect seriousness.

"I guess I just sort of realized that the only thing that fire was burning was me." He remarked somewhat quietly. "Besides, these past two years have shown me how badly I dealt with Sasuke. I tried to save him, but Sasuke had to save himself. There are some people you just..." He stopped and exhaled sharply. "Can't change." He finished, though he felt like he had sold his soul just to admit it.

"I agree, but..." She stopped, and Naruto knew that he would need to approach this from a different angle.

"Look, back then, my greatest wish for Sasuke was that he return here, and be happy whether I was here with him or not. I can see that he has, so it's all good." He said as he flashed her one of his signature grins.

"Well that all sounds admirable, but do you really believe that ?"

She saw the grin on his face fall into a frown.

"You can't just make yourself not care anymore, Naruto. If it were that easy, people wouldn't be so plagued by things of the past. Sasuke is the perfect example of that."

He sighed.

"Well, it doesn't really matter now anyway. I'm leaving tomorrow, so hopefully things will fall back into place the way they were before Sai and I completely screwed up this village."

It needed to be said, though he felt himself grow somewhat intimidated as she balked in fury and hurt.

"Absolutely not. The poison from that Kunai took six hours to extract, and the damage sustained from the kunai alone is severe."

"Bah! I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."

"Naruto, one wrong move and you'll rip open that canyon in your back that you call a scratch. In case you haven't noticed, that thing has fifteen stitches in it."

"Eh..I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed." He replied while turning to show her where the blood had seeped through the bandage. She sighed loudly. "Anyway, me and Sai will just be on our way as soon as we-" He said as he began to stand up and stretch.

"Naruto, don't –"

But before she could finish, he felt the waves of pain tremor throughout his back as a few more of the stitches popped apart.

"...do that." Tsunade said flatly as appeared beside him. He was doubled over in pain as lights flooded his vision.

"Naruto, we need to get you to the hospital to fix this." Tsunade said as she pulled on her green tunic.

Naruto realized that the hand he was pressing against his back now had red blood seeping through its fingers. He winced in pain as Tsunade supported him.

"That _ANBU_, you son of a bitch." Naruto spat through gritted teeth.

"You deserve this." Tsunade snapped as she closed the door behind them, locked it, and supported Naruto with one arm. "You'll be lucky if I even decide to put you under anesthesia for this."

"You do realize that I'm bleeding to death, right? My death is very possible right now and all you can manage to do is be threatening. What _would_ I do without you, BAA chan?" Naruto replied sarcastically.

"Do you want me to leave you? Because I will leave you in this hallway. Don't test my patience, brat."

"I should leave right now, just for that."

"Can't imagine you'd get very far, considering how you can barely manage to crawl right now." She explained apathetically. "Plus, you are a classified missing nin, which gives us the full authority to arrest you whenever I deem necessary."

"You are an evil, _evil _woma-"

He stopped, however, when the corner they turned had led them straight in front of Kakashi and Sasuke.

"Oh thank Kami you're here, Kakashi. I need your help lugging this brat to the hospital."

Naruto ducked under the bizarre gaze that Kakashi peered down on him with. Kakashi was one of the people in Naruto's life that he cared for and had probably disappointed. Back then, he had shoved his dream of being Hokage into Kakashi's face on a daily basis. Fast forward four or five years, where Naruto had abandoned everything he had ever stood for, which Kakashi was weirdly sensitive to anyway. It was Kakashi's ideals that had brought about Naruto's deep bonds with Sasuke and Sakura in the first. Had it not been for Kakashi, Naruto wouldn't be half the ninja that he was.

"So it's true." Kakashi said blankly.

"Yeah." Naruto whispered through a smile.

"You have some serious explaining to do." Kakashi remarked, his tired eyes and tone devoid of any humor whatsoever.

"I know." Naruto laughed as Kakashi hoisted his other arm onto his shoulder. He figured he'd better be a good sport about it. He paused when Kakashi coked his head towards Sasuke, who leaned casually against the wall.

"Go ahead without me. I'll catch up later." Kakashi commented, and Naruto watched from the corner of his eye as Sasuke pushed himself off of the wall, and disappeared around a corner.

He listened to the conversation between Tsunade and Kakashi as they made their way down to the hospital. From what he had gathered, he and Sai's arrival had been kept under strict confidentiality. There were still a few of the older generation who feared the Nine-Tailed Fox, and thus would not take the news of his arrival gracefully. It pissed him off, but at the same time, he couldn't ever truly blame them for it. After what he had done with those men two years ago, people had every right to fear for what he might do if he lost control.

Hell, he did. Everyday.

At this point, there was so much he didn't know. He didn't where Sai was, or how he felt about any of this. He didn't know who knew and who didn't. He didn't know how his friends would feel, or if they would feel anything at al;, because he certainly didn't deserve their affection at this point. He was too wounded to run away, and too wounded to stay.

The only thing he really did know was that he was going to have to create some of the most complex and convincing lies he had ever tried to produce. These people couldn't save him.

He wouldn't let them try.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Hey guys! Please rate and review! It keeps me motivated to write more!


	9. Cruel Irony: Chapter 9 Bitter

_**REVISED**_

_"You ain't ever gonna change. You got a gypsy soul to blame, and you were born for leaving. Born for leaving._- Colder Weather, Zac Brown Band

"Now get out of here." Tsunade remarked as she turned the light off and followed Naruto out the door.

She and Naruto had spent the last hour restitching the wound he had so carelessly torn open, and much to her dismay, Naruto had verbalized his complaints every second of that hour. It had started off with his disapproval of the way in which the ANBU Black-Ops were now allowed to "so carelessly chuck poisonous kunai knives at any helpless girl that so much as breathed the wrong way," which then prompted her to explain that he and Sai weren't, indeed, little girls, but rather two grown men who had organized the "biggest failure of a plan she had seen in thirty years," which then spurred another half hour of arguing between the two of them. She would have scolded him, but it was all too wonderfully familiar to tamper with.

Kakashi had left the second they had arrived at the hospital. In a way, Tsunade was surprised; but in another way, she wasn't. Naruto had stayed fairly sobered - the kind of quiet sobriety that children adopt after being scolded or caught in their guilt. He didn't once speak to Kakashi, and vice versa.

With the jingle of her keys locking the door, she turned to a pouty-faced Naruto.

"I have ordered every ANBU in this village to monitor you at all times of the day. Should I receive word that you and Sai have left the village perimeters, I will send every possible shinobi - male or female - after you."

"Yawn." He replied in his best sarcasm.

"I am serious about this, Naruto." She reiterated, her voice adopting a rigidity that betrayed any humor she might have had. "If it proves necessary, I can order you to be arrested as a missing nin. I won't hesitate to take any action with this."

"Holy hell, I can see that. You don't need to send an army after me."

"If that's what it takes to keep you under surveillance, I will."

"Yeah yeah. . ."Naruto drawled as he non-nonchalantly turned, and began walking down the hallway.

"I'm watching you, Uzumaki! You need to be back at this hospital at eight o' clock!" She shouted, though as usual, it fell mostly on deaf ears as he simply waved at her.

As he lumbered, she saw the chalky whisker marks and tired eyes flash across her mind. No genjutsu or makeup could simulate features as genuine as those. It wasn't right. He never had a history of lying, but...

"_Naruto, what am I going to do with you?" _She sighed and folded her arms. "Shizune! Where's my Saki?" she shouted as she turned on her heels, and proceeded to go back to her office.

- - - - - - - Scene Change - - - - - - -

"Evil woman" Naruto mumbled to himself as he entered the elevator and poked at his bandages. _"These stitches hurt like piss. She did this to me on purpose." _He thought as he massaged around the bandaged area of his back. _"And where the fuck did Sai go?"_

And with that thought, he began to feel the slow-burn of guilt seeping in. He had loosely implied to Tsunade that he and Sai would stay for at least a week until he was medically cleared to leave, but that was only said to appease her. They couldn't stay any more than a day or two, and even that was pushing it. Things were bad enough as it was, and they would only get more complicated the longer he stayed.

He frowned.

_"I'm sorry Baa-Chan, but I can't stay here. Damn I wish I could, but...I'm too dangerous. I'm a liability that this place doesn't need anymore."_

_**PING**_.

His musing was interrupted, however, with the sound of the elevator bell and the door sliding open. He stepped into the painfully bright light of the waiting room and looked around.

In the distance, a head of pink hair poked out from the top of a couch. Carefully, he craned around the side of the chair, and noted her delicate lashes resting on her cheeks in what had to be a terribly uncomfortable slumber.

_"Asleep_." He resolved, though with a mischievous smirk stretching across his paling face. It might be okay to scare her, just for old time's sake. . .

_"No. Don't be an ass, Naruto. These aren't 'the old times' anymore. Things aren't the same."_ He was interrupted, however, by the soft sounds of her snoring. "_Well, maybe if I just. . ." _He thought as he quietly snuck to the back of her chair, held his hands up, and-

"Nice try, Naruto, but I'm not going to fall for that."

"Bah!" He spat as he visibly deflated. "How did you know?" He asked, throwing himself over the couch and plopping down next to her.

"Lucky guess." She replied as she turned from her book and looked at him: her eyes beaming with happiness that quickly turned into surprise.

"...What?" He asked in confusion.

"Oh...nothing. It's just taking me some time to get used to these new features that you've added to your appearance. I keep expecting the old Naruto..." She trailed off as another wave of awkwardness filled the gap. Where words failed, something even worse always seemed to replace them.

"I think everyone is." He said through a laugh; though somehow, the statement seemed to burn onto his tongue. She stared at him then with a soft, genuine smile, and he smiled haughtily.

"What? Are these new features taking your breath away? Because if so, I'd totally understa-"

"You're sitting here beside me, and its not a dream this time. You..." She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and looked down; the smile taking on a layer of sadness. "I've had a lot of dreams like this, and I'm still not convinced that this isn't one. I guess I just want to look at you for a little longer. In case I wake up, you know, and you're..." She trailed off.

"I'm sorry." He replied softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him, though with caution and wariness; not because she was scared of him, but because she was scared of him not _really_ being there. She needed this.

And he did too; in the most dangerous way possible.

She let her hair fall in curtains around her face now, and he pretended that he didn't see the reason why.

"Well!" She chirped, slamming her book closed and bouncing into a standing position. "We're going shopping."

"HAHA. . .no." Came the reply.

"But why? You can't wear hospital gowns forever. You're going to have to change at some point. And besides, the bandage covering your wound will gross people out."

"You don't know that. Maybe someone will see this wound and tell their kids, 'Now there's a fine young man! Able to take one for the team. What a saint!'"

She deadpanned.

"Actually, no. No one would do that. You're deranged. Please?" She asked as she clasped her hands together and begged him with her best glittery eyes. He sighed, because this was a battle he couldn't win. He had taken on every type of ninja in the last two years imaginable. But a battle against Sakura's stubbornness was essentially a battle that could never be won. And if he really thought about it, a new pair of pants would be nice...

"Fine. But I'm paying." He resolved, standing up next to her.

"No. I'm paying. And there's one more stipulation. . ."

"...Yes?" He asked hesitantly; slowly leaning back as if she were to morph into Satan incarnate himself.

"No orange." She said firmly, and he gasped.

"Blasphemy!"

"No, _common sense_. No shinobi wears orange. I don't know why you were allowed to do it back then anyway. Come on, we're going." She said as she sprung from the couch and grabbed his forearm. Her touch surprised him a little, and she seemed to really be enjoying herself.

"Sakura, I do have a gaping wound in my back. Minor details, you know?" He called as she pulled him through the door.

It had now been twenty-eight hours since he and Sai had shown up and rocked this village's foundation. The news had spread, and he was only so lucky this time that most of his generation was still on a reconstruction mission in Kirigakure, but even that wasn't a guaranteed escape route. There was no way to stop the rumors, and there was no way to paralyze the news that he and Sai were both very much alive.

Now, he would have to mingle with Konoha. They weren't the people he specifically knew, but they were still people who knew him. He was going to leave in no more than three days, but for now, it really couldn't be avoided.

- - - - - - - Scene Change - - - - - - -

Naruto and Sakura were now wading through the crowded streets of Konoha's markets. It was colorful and loud, and it set Naruto's senses on fire. He could smell the food, hear the noises of the people, and feel the brush of every person flying past him. It was nice to be here again, though only for a short while.

Along the way, Sakura had stopped to buy him some food for his stay at the hospital while he watched carefully for any sign that Sai was lurking in the shadows somewhere. He took in everything around him and reveled in the memories it brought back.

"Hey, can we make a quick stop at the store up ahead? I want to buy something really quickly."

"Sure!" He remarked as he followed her into a small, purple building with plants around the door.

Walking in, he was hit by the dizzying smell and sight of hundreds of different types of flowers lining the shelves and hanging from the ceilings. There were flowers everywhere; splashing brilliant colors and sweet perfumes across the entire store. Turning around to a sign on the wall, he observed the name of the flower shop and winced.

This was the Yamanaka flower shop.

Quickly grabbing Sakura's hand, he ducked behind one of the isles of flowers and bent down low.

"This place belongs to Ino's family!" He replied in a hurried whisper.

"Well...actually, it just belongs to Ino now."

"Wait, _what_? I thought you said most of our generation was on a recon mission in Kirigakure!"

"They are. All of the Jounin, anyway. Ino never pursued the Jounin exams because she wanted to take over this flower shop. Shikamaru helps her occasionally, though, since he's Tsunade-sama's chief adviser."

"Wait, so _Nara's_ here?" He gawked as he cursed quietly. That man was a genius.

"Possibly. What's the problem? They're going to find out you're here eventually, if they don't already know anyway." She replied, tugging harder on his hand.

"Sakura-chan! This isn't-"

"Hey Ino Pig! It's Sakura. Can you help me for a sec? I want you to meet someone." She called, cutting him off in the process.

"Be out in a second!" Came a muffled voice from a room behind the counter. Turning back to Naruto, Sakura smiled, though with eyes that held a seriousness that proved that she was no longer the emotional doormat that she had once been. Whatever she was about to say was important enough that she wouldn't compromise the outcome.

"You can't avoid these people forever, Naruto. You're here now. Even if you run, they will find out soon anyway, and you know it."

He scanned her face for any trace of insecurity, but inwardly deflated when he couldn't find it.

"I know, Sakura-chan. I'm just..."

"I know. But I'll help you, okay?" She smiled and held her hand out to him. Hesitantly, he took her hand and she led him out from behind the shelves and in front of the desk.

In an attempt to distract himself, he decided to observe the many types of flowers lining the shelves. The shelf he was currently studying held the tiny seedlings of what were called Pink Roses, Gardenia's, Blue Hydrangea's and a bright orange flower that he had never seen before.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Sakura asked as she appeared beside him and gently rubbed her thumb across the orange petal.

"They sure are an awesome color. I have respect for anyone who is bold enough to wear such a bad-ass color."

"Nice try, Naruto, but I'm still not going to let you buy something orange. It's atrocious."

"You speak such foul words, harlot! Do you know what they're called?" He asked as he brushed his knuckle along the thin leaves. A puzzled look spread across her face as she fumbled with the tag on the plant.

"Mm, I don't know. Part of the tag's been torn off, and it looks like the other one has already been bought. We'll ask Ino."

"Ask me what?" Came the reply as Ino burst from the back room carrying a huge box of yellow tulips in her arms. She placed them onto the counter, swiped her apron off of a chair, and came around to the front. Naruto watched as Ino made her way over to them, still not aware of the fact that he was there. Sakura smiled.

"Oh nothing, really, we just wanted to know what kind of flower this is." Sakura replied as Ino came up from behind while tying her apron. She spun the flower around towards her to get a better look.

"Oh, that's easy, those are-" But before she could finish, she casually glanced at him, and he waited for the hysterics. With a loud thud, she backed into the counter; knocking the box of tulips onto the floor in the process. Shock was written on her face as she braced herself on the side of the counter.

"You're not- who the _hell _are you!" She snapped, her shock quickly turning to anger at the prospect of someone playing such a cruel joke in front of her, and especially in front of Sakura.

"It's really me, Ino-Chan. I know this is weird, but work with me here." He replied, his signature grin spreading to his eyes. She glanced at Sakura in morbid confusion, but turned back when the pinkette only smiled and shrugged her shoulders in response.

"It's true." Sakura replied.

"But how?" Ino then whispered. "This...he was supposed to be _dead_, and...I-I don't understand."

"He didn't die, Ino. That was never proven anyway, remember? We all just assumed...well, it turns out he was just...he-"' Sakura stopped, and Naruto mentally judged what she would possibly say next.

"He was taking a leave of absence. Even I didn't know. It was classified information...apparently." She finished, as a bizarre smile covered her own confusion, anger and worry. Ino then looked back and forth between them, her mouth finally closing into a thinned line.

"So you're really that baka Naruto?" Ino whispered, her hand shaking as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hai!" He replied, his bleachy teeth stretching into an even wider grin.

Ino looked at him in pure bewilderment, then slowly stepped forward. Much to Naruto's surprise, a huge smile spread across her face as she pulled him into a tight hug and began laughing. Naruto felt the pain from his wound, but was too shocked by Ino's sudden affection to give it any thought.

"Watch it, Ino-pig. His back is hurt."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll get off!" She said as she plopped off of him and back on to the ground. It was then that Ino began to laugh hysterically, tears falling down her face.

"What's so funny?" Sakura asked, trying not to laugh herself.

"It's just, I'm so happy he's here! Naruto, you. . .you just have no idea. _No_ idea what this place has been like. How have you been? _Where_ have you been?"

He pretended not to notice when Sakura looked away awkwardly.

"I've been fine! Just roaming the countryside with my buddy Sai, really."

"Why did you guys leave?" She asked, though she somewhat recoiled when Sakura shook her head quickly. Naruto noted the darker atmosphere the room seemed to fall into.

"It's...kind of hard to explain, I guess." He said through a grin.

"Oh." Ino said softly. And as soon as she mentioned it, she breezed into a change of subject. "So what's with this new appearance?" She asked as she bounced one of the red ends of his hair in a cupped hand.

"Oh, this?" Naruto asked as he flipped his hair back. "This is just me intensifying the sexiness that lay dormant in my body."

"Right. I totally understand."

"Really?"

"No." She replied through a tinkling laugh.

"Well, in all seriousness, I didn't want to be recognizable to anyone I may have pissed off at some point, so I just changed things up a little." He explained. Ino laughed, indicating that the answer good enough for now. But before anything else could be said, all three of them turned their heads as the bell on the door chimed.

"Hey Ino, I picked up the shipment of Gardenia's you wanted. I'm putting them on the-" Came the voice of Shikamaru who stopped mid-sentence when he locked eyes with Naruto. For the briefest moment, his expression spelled shock, but soon it was replaced by a small smile and half-lidded eyes.

"So it's true." Shikamaru remarked somewhat quietly, though Naruto wasn't surprised that he already knew. If Shikamaru truly was the Hokage's adviser, he was second only in command to her and would have known almost everything that she knew. Quietly, he placed the box of flowers on the ground.

"Yeah." Naruto said through a grin, and smiled at his long lost genius-of-a-friend. Shikamaru was one of the smartest people he had ever known, and his ability to strategize was even more sharp than Sasuke's.

"Well? Come here, Shika!" Ino called to him, breaking the silence.

Shikamaru stepped forward, hands in his pockets with a smile on his face. He somewhat laughed to himself as he stared at the ground.

"I knew you'd come back." He remarked. Naruto was taken aback, but decided to play along.

"How did you know I wasn't dead?" Naruto asked through a tempting smile. Obviously, Shikamaru had never believed that he was dead, but he obviously had never told any of his closest peers either. Shikamaru had his ways, but was their any actual proof behind his belief, or had it all just been a feeling?

"Hm. Maybe I'll tell you later, but for now-" And before he could finish, Shikamaru had thrown an arm around Naruto's shoulder. "It's great to have you back, Naruto. And I mean that seriously." Shikamaru said as he ruffled the blond's hair. Naruto was slightly surprised, only because Shikamaru had always been too indifferent to show emotion. This was the most animated Naruto had ever seen him. Shikamaru stepped back and spoke up:

"But seriously, Naruto, this new look? You should have left that in whatever village you found it in." He commented, and Naruto smirked as Ino and Sakura laughed loudly.

"Up yours, you jerk! You wish you could have this." Naruto replied as he ran his hand along his torso and smiled seductively. He didn't notice the rosy blush spread across Ino's cheeks.

"What? At least I'm not judging something you were born with, right?" Shikamaru replied somewhat jokingly, though Naruto felt himself speechless. He couldn't tell if Shikamaru was joking, or if it was some kind of test. He glanced at Sakura, who must have felt the same way, because she was awkwardly looking at the floor.

If Shikamaru was half the Shinobi everyone made him out to be, he would start scrutinizing Naruto immediately. The circumstances surrounding Naruto' and Sai's departure were questionable even back then, so now they must have tripled in mystery. At the end of the day, Shikamaru was no fool, and this is partially what he was trained to do.

"Right. Then you would just be an asshole." Naruto remarked playfully, and Sakura and Ino laughed again.

"Well, Naruto, it's great to have you back! And to celebrate your return, I'm going to throw you a party this weekend!" Ino chirped as she clapped her hands together.

And then Naruto somewhat choked.

"Uhh...that's...well, that's really thoughtful, but I can't ask you to do- "

"Nonsense! It will be so much fun! And from what Shika said, most of our teachers and peers will be returning in the next few days."

"It _would_ be fun, Naruto." Sakura commented. Naruto turned to Shikamaru who was conveniently staring in another direction.

"Ah, fine." He remarked as Ino and Sakura squealed in delight. "But only if it can be for Sai too." Naruto would sure as hell incorporate Sai into this misery somehow. Not to mention it would probably be easier to lie to everyone in one fell swoop instead of going to them individually.

Ino opened her mouth to reply, but before she could answer, the bell on the door rang again signaling that a customer was walking in. The atmosphere plummeted, however, as Naruto observed Sasuke stroll casually through the door, and suddenly the realization that Naruto and Sasuke were standing in the same building hit Ino and Shikamaru like a freight train.

It was weird, because Shikamaru and Ino didn't know that he was already aware of Sasuke's return. Shikamaru settled on looking somewhere on the floor with his arms crossed, and Ino momentarily looked back and forth between the Uchiha and the blond, but snapped out of it shortly after when she concluded that they must have already met each other.

"Hey, Sasuke! What brings you here again?" Ino asked brightly, though resolving to ask Sakura later how badly it had gone down between the two boys. Shikamaru merely lit a cigarette and avoided the very tangible hostility that now swirled heavily in the air.

"_Again?" _Naruto thought. "_Does Sasuke have a thing for flowers? Or __**Ino**__?" _Even though he was trying to choke down the bitter taste in his mouth, he couldn't help but smirk evilly to himself. Had they been twelve years old again, he would have mercilessly taunted Sasuke about coming to visit Ino like this, especially considering he had obviously been here before. The potential embarrassment in all of it was too tempting to ignore. It wasn't a weapon shop or a poison maker, nor was there a sign out front that said "Will give limitless power to any pretty boy for complete ownership of their adolescent body." This wasn't a typical "Sasuke" place, but he didn't really know what a typical "Sasuke" place was anymore.

"I'm here to pay-back my remaining balance." Sasuke replied blankly. Naruto's eyes followed Ino as she disappeared behind the counter.

"So that's what they're calling it these days..." Naruto muttered quietly. Sakura tried to cover her smile, though Naruto laughed a little too loudly as Shikamaru hid his smile and shook his head. Naruto gasped in pain as Sakura elbowed him in the ribs, though that only spurred more laughter from the three of them.

"Here we are." Ino said cheerily as she opened a notebook to a specific page. "Let me just go find your receipts. I'll be back in just a second." She chirped as she went to the back room once more.

"I'll go with you." Shikamaru remarked as he entered into the room afterwords. Naruto sent him a death glare, but Shikamaru merely returned it with a smirk. It was now that Naruto realized that the original Team Seven, who had gone down as the most notoriously powerful and tragic team in the last fifty years, was awkwardly standing together once again in a flower shop. Here they were, pretending that nothing was wrong, and that there wasn't a crippling history here. They were pretending that they were all capable of subduing the frost of their anger, and they were pretending, like they always had, that things would be okay if they could be ignored.

But under these circumstances, it was so wrong. So very wrong, simply because meeting at all like this was supposed to just be a dream. Or a nightmare, depending on who you asked.

Sakura, like she had done so many times before, decided to break the ice.

"So Sasuke, I had no idea you had an interest in flowers. What have you been doing with them?" Sasuke turned around to face her as Naruto did his best to pretend that a pot of violets was somehow captivating.

"Nothing. Did you talk to Kakashi yet? He wanted to speak with you." He asked through genuine interest, and Naruto couldn't help but listen in some kind of annoyed fascination.

Sasuke and Sakura were having an actual conversation. Yes, Sasuke had quickly changed the subject, but he actually was humane enough now to entertain her in this way. There had never been a time in Sasuke's life when he gave Sakura the chance to actually converse with him. Even in their best days Sasuke had never really respected Sakura.

"_Where was this when we were kids, you bastard?" _Naruto thought in annoyance.

When they were kids, he had always pined for Sakura's attention but was never fortunate enough to receive it in the way that Sasuke did. Back then, he wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Sakura, but Sasuke's apathy towards her confessions were almost concrete. It used to make him mad how Sasuke would shrug her off; but now, even when he was so bitter against Sasuke, he appreciated that he had the decency to treat her like a human being. He was glad Sakura was getting to experience such a good side of Sasuke. It was the side he only got to see a few times, and when he did get to see it, he could have sworn they were friends.

Naruto was brought back from his reverie as Ino and Shikamaru came through the back room again, Ino carrying a receipt and a calculator. He watched as Sasuke walked over to her and began conversing, and he took that opportunity to tap Sakura's shoulder through the isle of flowers. Turning, she shoved a flower-pot to the side and peered at him through the shelf of flowers.

"Well that was the most awkward thing of my life. That was enough to make me suicidal." He whispered.

"You know, you really ought to try and be a little more civil. I understand that this is an extremely awkward and confusing situation for you, but since you don't care to know why he has returned, the least you can do is be a little cordial." She answered in a hushed tone, and he flinched at her seriousness.

"Civil? You want me to be _civil_? That's like asking me to forget the past six years! I wouldn't let myself forget that level of assery!" Naruto somewhat barked, and winced when Ino and Sasuke abruptly stopped talking. He looked up from where he was and noticed that Ino and Shikamaru were staring at him in confusion. Bending down lower, Naruto turned back to Sakura through the isle.

"Assery?" She whispered in unimpressed confusion.

"You know, 'the act of being an ass.' Assery."

She rolled her eyes.

"Listen Naruto, I will talk with you about this later. Now is neither the time nor the place." She replied in a hurried whisper.

"But Sakura-cha-PFFT!" He spat as one of the flowers on the top shelf fell and hit him in the mouth. Catching it before it hit the floor, he saw that it was the orange flower that he didn't know the name of.

"Hey Sakura-Chan, we never found out what this flower was called." He whispered as he shook the soil out of his hair and handed the pot to her through the shelf.

"Oh yeah! We'll just ask Ino when she's done." She replied.

Before anything else could be said, Ino walked to her cash register, pulled out a receipt and handed it to Sasuke. "Thanks so much, Sasuke!" She remarked sweetly.

"Thanks." Sasuke replied as he casually folded the receipt and placed it in his pocket. Naruto stiffened as he turned towards them: the animosity and anger hitting like two electrical currents.

"It's called an Orange Impatiens." He commented casually to Sakura, then left as quickly as he had come. Naruto and Sakura briefly stared at each other.

"Well, that was...um..." Ino tried, but trailed off.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru commented. Sakura stepped forward and sat on the counter next to Ino.

"How long has Sasuke been coming to your shop, Ino?" Sakura asked as Ino began cutting the stems off of the Gardenia's Shikamaru had brought in.

"For about a year now."

"What has he been buying them for?"

"I don't know. It was weird at first, because normally people tell me who or what they're buying flowers for, but he never says anything. I assumed it was a girlfriend, but I never see him with anyone. It's a shame, really, because I thought he was making progress by buying them for a possible future spouse, but I just don't know." She explained. Shikamaru was now resting his hand on the counter, and Naruto had appeared in front of them.

"I would ask him, but it seems kind of personal." Sakura mused, and Ino agreed with a nod of her head as she focused her attention on stripping the flowers of their leaves.

"Yeah, several people that live in the elite district said he might be buying them for the Uchiha manor since it's being re-built and all. Takahiro-san said he could be buying them for the graves of his family that are in the Manor gardens, because he saw Sasuke taking them there. Either way, its somewhere in that area."

"What kind of flower has he been buying?" Sakura asked.

"Probably a _pansy_." Naruto remarked bitterly as he boredly flipped through a gardening magazine. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Actually, he's bought the same exact flower every time he's been here. It's that orange flower over there." She said as she motioned her pair of scissors towards the isle they had just been at. "It's called an Orange Impatiens."

Naruto and Sakura suddenly stared at each other in disbelief. Ino spoke up again:

"The only thing with Orange Impatiens though, is they have no tolerance for the cold and can only thrive in sunlight, yet he would buy them anyway. I can't see why he was buying them in the winter, but he did."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru commented as he lit another cigarette, earning an unimpressed look from Ino.

"That is. . .really strange." Sakura replied as she glanced at her watch. "But it's getting late, and Naruto, you have to be back by 8:00 don't you?" She asked as she hopped off of the counter.

"Well...in theory." He replied as he gave up on the gardening magazine. They had been so caught up in introductions that they had completely forgotten to go shopping. The sun was now sending bright red colors through the sky as the day came to a close.

"That means you have to be back in thirty minutes. Ino, can I buy some of the blue hydrangeas really quickly? That's really what I came her for."

"Sure! And as a gift to Naruto, I'll give them to you for free."

"Thanks, Ino." Naruto replied sweetly as Naruto flashed her a genuine smile.

As they began to walk out the door, Naruto was stopped once again by the sound of Ino's voice:

"And Naruto, don't you dare try to skip out on this party for you and Sai! I will not allow it."

"Wouldn't miss it!" He commented as Sakura grabbed him by the ear, and led him outside.

Which reminded him that he needed to find Sai, and find him soon.

- - - - - - - Scene Change - - - - - - -

"Perfect." Sakura replied as she placed the blue hydrangeas in a crystal vase next to Naruto's nightstand. "They match the color of your eyes beautifully."

He observed the cornflower-blue of the flowers, and somewhat frowned to himself when the only image of his eyes he could remember was the feral, slitted pupils on that night two years ago. A vase of flowers may have matched the color, but they sure didn't match the intent.

As Sakura fiddled with the hospital equipment, Naruto let his thoughts wander while he boredly tossed a coin in the air and caught it. He remembered Sasuke's comment about the flower when they were in Ino's shop, which indicated that he had been listening to their conversation.

_"If he was listening, that would mean he heard what I said."_ Naruto thought as he tossed a coin in the air and caught it. "_No shit, Naruto. But its not like I regret saying it. He deserved to hear anything I said. That bastard can't even begin to fathom..."_ But his thoughts trailed off when he remembered that they were a bunny-trail of thoughts that never got him anywhere, because even if Sasuke could fathom what he had done, he probably wouldn't have truly known how to care anyway.

Absentmindedly, he squeezed the coin so hard it bent. Sighing, he chucked it out the window and leaned his head against the wall.

He was tired of thinking about Sasuke, because there really was no such thing as just thinking about Sasuke. There was obsessing over Sasuke. There was stewing over Sasuke, grieving over Sasuke and remembering Sasuke, but no one could simply just _think _about Sasuke. There was too much damage for that.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, some part of him really did want to know why Sasuke had returned. From the way Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura and Tsunade had been talking about Sasuke, Naruto figured the explanation was obviously good enough to redeem him from the extreme animosity that every one harbored for him.

His thoughts were interrupted as Sakura sat down on the bed beside him. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" She asked as she pulled a medical chart out from her bag. Much to his pleasure, she had been assigned as his room nurse for the next week. Naruto continued to stare at the ceiling with his arms folded behind his head.

"I just don't understand." He remarked.

"Understand what?" Came the question as she rummaged through her bag for a pen.

"I mean, what explanation could have made such a huge difference that they would just excuse everything that asshole did?" Naruto inwardly growled as he stared at the ceiling. Sakura stopped what she was doing and turned towards him.

"Are you talking about Sasuke?"

"I mean, I understand that forgiveness is a good thing, and that's fine. I get it. But what I don't get, is how it was so easy for everyone to just let it go. Dammit. I mean, everyone _hated_ him. And when I pleaded with everyone to not give up on him, they all told me to move on. And then when I leave, everything changes and it just. . ." He stopped, but she continued to stare at him. "It just doesn't make any sense." He resolved as he grabbed another coin and began tossing it up to the ceiling. Sakura spoke up quietly.

"Naruto, I don't even know how to tell you how difficult it was to let him return, and the thing is, I can't explain anything to you until you find out _why_ he returned."

"Can't you just tell me?"

"No."

"You _can't_ or you _won't_?"

"Both. Number one, as an apprentice for Hokage-sama, I'm not allowed to reveal any classified information on anyone. And number two, I wouldn't tell you even if I could."

"Ne Sakura-chan, whyyyy?" He whined.

"Because if I did it for you, then that means you wouldn't have to. It would mean that both of you were just too stubborn to conquer your pride for one minute and say to each other everything that needs to be said."

Yes, having Sakura tell him everything that happened would be a nice cop-out. It would mean that he could answer the burning question that had been plaguing his mind since he returned, but he wouldn't actually have to talk to Sasuke. It would have been perfect, but Naruto knew Sakura wouldn't budge. Once again, she was forced to play the middle-man in an exhausting war.

"Well...that still doesn't change the fact that I'm pissed off. I don't even have to know why Sasuke returned to know that the village is being way more understanding of him then they were back then. Hell, I _begged_ them to give him a chance and they all turned their backs. I mean, I was his best friend and I can't even make myself forget all the shit he put everyone through."

"Perhaps it's _because_ you were best friends that you're having such a hard time forgiving him."

Naruto stopped what he was doing and focused on Sakura.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, back then, nobody was personally involved with Sasuke like we were. So when he left, they suffered little. When he slandered the village, they didn't care. And when he abandoned us, he was just another missing nin to put on file. But for you, Naruto, it was different. You were so personally involved with Sasuke that every action he took against you was intensified tenfold. And not only that, but you put so much effort into trying to bring him back despite how badly the village wanted you to forget him. I think it's _because _you were his best friend that you can't let it go."

"I know." Naruto replied quietly, and Sakura looked down awkwardly and attempted to busy herself with the paperwork.

"And I'm afraid if you don't do something about it soon, you're going to miss your chance and spend the rest of your life living with this anger. Both of you will, and its awful." She commented quietly, her lips thinning into a white line.

"I can't just talk to Sasuke, though. It wasn't even _that_ easy when we did tolerate each other."

"You can't or you won't?" She asked with somewhat of a smile.

"Both." Naruto said through a laugh.

"You might be surprised though, Naruto. Sasuke wasn't oblivious to the fact that you weren't here when he returned. He actually..."

" 'Actually' what?" Naruto asked, though he felt it was against his better judgment to do so.

"Nevermind." She remarked as she stood up and stretched. "Anyway, I have to be at Hokage-Sama's in fifteen minutes, so I better leave."

"Okay. Thanks for today, Sakura-chan. I mean it. I really did have fun, despite that bastard showing up."

Sakura laughed openly and turned around.

"Good night, Naruto." She answered as she opened the door. Before she left, however, she turned towards him and spoke up one last time: "Talk to him. You will feel so much better if you do."

"HAH! Good night, Sakura-chan!" He replied as Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Oh and Naruto, you may have gotten out of it today, but be prepared to be up early tomorrow again. We will finish our shopping." Sakura replied as she turned off the light and shut the door.

- - - - - - - Scene Change - - - - - - -

_"On the first page of our story, the future seemed so bright. Then this thing turned out so evil, I don't why I'm still surprised. Even angels have their wicked schemes and you take that to new extremes. But you'll always be my hero even though you've lost your mind."_ - Love The Way You Lie Part Two

_"5:00 A.M."_ Naruto commented. "_This is an un-Godly hour." _Naruto thought as he buried his face in the pillow. His mind had been too heavy with thoughts to be able to shut down.

He thought about where Sai was, how they would be leaving, _when_ they would be leaving, to be exact. He thought about his appearance and how he was going to explain it to everyone. He thought about how much control he was losing over the Kyuubi and he thought about his pain. he thought about how much time he had left, and he thought about Sasuke. Sasuke fucking Uchiha.

_"This is ridiculous. I need to get out of here." _Naruto thought as he sat on the edge of the bed and tried to characterize the faces in the Hokage Monument.

_"The Hokage Monument!"_ He thought. And with that, he sprang out of bed, shoved the window open and made his way to his favorite childhood spot.

As he jumped from roof-top to roof-top, he let the cold wind graze his face. It felt painful, but in a good kind of way. Since the Kyuubi commanded so much of his body these days, his regular body temperature fluctuated between extreme temperatures, and tonight was one of those nights where his blood almost felt like it was boiling. There were some days where the Kyuubi chakra literally did burn him, giving him what felt like a bad sunburn. The frost-bitten air felt almost euphoric against his feverish skin.

As he finally made his way to the top of the Hokage Monument, he landed on the smooth, hard rock and plopped down; one foot swinging over the edge. It was wonderfully freezing cold, and wearing nothing but a fitted white t-shirt and black pants made it all the more intense.

_"Talk to him. You will feel so much better if you do."_

He remembered Sakura's advice to him and began to let his thoughts wander to the possibility that talking to Sasuke wouldn't be a terrible idea.

_"How would I even approach something like that? __**'So Sasuke, you feel like having a big heart-to-heart confessional on why you were such an asshole for so long? Because I know I sure would!' **__No, it's not that easy. Maybe it was at one time, but...not anymore." _Naruto frowned as he stood up. He could feel the anger rising once again. The sun was now coming up and he could see the warm colors of morning appearing in the distance.

"SHIT!" Naruto yelled as he threw a rock far into the city below him, his breath falling short and developing into staggered breathing. He listened to the muffled "bang" as it hit some building far below him. He stared sadly into the distance knowing he could be in Suna right now, away from all of this baggage.

"What are you doing here?"

Spinning, Naruto tore a kunai out of the hem of his pants and turned to the voice behind him; visibly faltering when he saw the silhouette of Sasuke standing defensively twenty feet away from him.


	10. Cruel Irony: Chapter 10 Redemption

**REVISED.**

_"Now there's gravel in our voices, glass is shattered from the fight. In this tug of war you'll always win even when I'm right. 'Cause you feed me fables from your hands with violent words and empty threats, and it's sick that all these battles are what keep me satisfied." -_ Love The Way You Lie Part Two

As Naruto searched for Sasuke's black eyes through the navy-blue of the morning, he briefly heard something like labored breathing from the Uchiha, but shrugged it off when he remembered that oxygen was only needed for people who had hearts.

If the air wasn't so stale, he might have even laughed at the cleverness of that imagery.

Sasuke must have sensed that he was in no real danger after the reality set in, because he shifted into a more casual position, flipped the kunai back into his pocket, and shifted his body weight onto one leg. In a small way, it irked Naruto that Sasuke still regarded him so flippantly in his actions. Even after six years, Sasuke still felt comfortable enough with himself to belittle Naruto with his small, bitchy gestures.

He had no idea what he was capable of.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, though a little too hesitantly to be completely void of emotion. The Hokage Monument may have been his spot when he was younger, but after two years of absence, the warranty had probably worn off.

"I should ask you the same question." Sasuke replied, eyes narrowed and with a tinge of annoyance laced through. Which -if Naruto really thought about it- was completely ridiculous considering how colorless their relationship had been for so long. It was okay for Sasuke to be "annoyed" with him when they were thirteen and being "annoyed" was as hostile as it ever got. Sasuke didn't have the right to be annoyed anymore, but Naruto doubted he gave a shit.

"It doesn't matter." Naruto ground through a locked jaw. Sasuke wasn't even worth syllables these days.

"I followed an unknown chakra trail up here. It's unfamiliar to me. Can I assume it's yours?" Sasuke asked as coldly as possible; eliminating any risk of implying that he would ever intentionally follow Naruto anywhere.

"I've been here for hours, and I've sensed no one else. Go home. Everything's fine."

"So your chakra is just unrecognizable now?" Sasuke asked with his best patronization.

Though Naruto started to search for a sarcastic remark he could fire back, he was sapped of that power when he realized why that remark was so significant.

_"Shit. The reason he doesn't recognize my chakra is because Kyuubi's chakra is mixing with it. That's why he was caught off-guard by my being here. He followed me thinking I was someone else. Damn."_ Naruto thought as he struggled to create some sort of explanation. This could have been a completely avoidable situation, but as usual, his carelessness would completely disrupt any peace. Turning his back to the Uchiha, he spoke up:

"I don't know." He replied apathetically. "Not surprising that you can't recognize it anymore. It's been a while."

"Not that long."

"What do you want from me, exactly?" He asked, spinning around to face the Uchiha who regarded him with a hand on his hip and completely unimpressed eyes. "I wouldn't recognize your chakra now if it walked up and introduced itself." He lied. "Just let it go."

"Fine." Sasuke commented blankly, and Naruto couldn't help the surprise that washed over him. Relaxing, he watched as Sasuke pulled the ANBU mask back over his face and began walking away.

There was no hint of anger or frustration laced in Sasuke's reply. It was a plain and simple remark that hit Naruto more than any insult would have, because it sounded like surrender. It was like Sasuke gave up a potential fight, and that was far from the way his mind worked. It was what they had always done, yet Sasuke had given up the opportunity to defend his motives.

And as Naruto watched Sasuke's body blend into the blue shadows of the trees, he suddenly felt the heat pooling in his stomach and the adrenaline rising. Sasuke was walking away _again_. Like always, there was a standing resolution that neither had taken advantage of, and it pissed Naruto off that he was always the one who had to try for it.

In that moment, Sakura's chirpy voice echoed through his mind; pleading with him to ask Sasuke why he had returned- pleading with Naruto to be the first to reach for that resolution again, because god knew that Sasuke would never be the first to try.

"Why'd you come back?" Naruto then yelled; abruptly recoiling when he realized that he hadn't really wanted to ask that. He saw Sasuke's retreating figure stop, indicating that the damage had been done, and he cursed quietly to himself.

"It's difficult to explain." Sasuke remarked after a minute, and Naruto somewhat blanched at how stupidly obvious and infuriating that answer was.

"Well..._yeah_." He replied, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "It's been 'difficult to explain' for about five fucking years now."

"And that means?" Sasuke bit back, now facing Naruto with a more defensive demeanor.

"There's nothing you've ever done that wasn't 'difficult to explain,' so do you have an explanation that isn't so ridiculously obvious?"

Yeah, he was losing his cool.

"Explanations mean nothing to people who won't accept any explanation but their own. If my reasons have always been 'difficult' for you to understand, perhaps you should have stopped following me when I told you that you would never understand." Sasuke replied, his eyebrows slightly nitting together - a sure sign that he had transcended irritation, and was now entering the realm of anger.

And then the gap was filled between them, and Naruto found himself in the face of an equally angry Sasuke. Inhibition failing, he spoke up in anger:

"I'll _never_ apologize for trying my damned hardest to help you. There was a time when you were worth saving, and I didn't have to understand anything but that!" He replied through short breaths. "I will never know what the hell friendship meant to you, but that's what it meant to me."

And Sasuke scoffed, sparing the blond no sympathy whatsoever.

"I told you from the very beginning what I would do if you tried to follow me. Whatever pain you've experienced has been brought on entirely by yourself." Sasuke remarked as flatly as he could.

And with that remark, Naruto somewhat retreated; only because Sasuke's reply was barely relevant to what they were talking about, and yet Naruto felt as if it was the logical conclusion to where this all would end, because it always kind of was. No matter how many accusations and verbal triumphs Naruto had ever had with Sasuke over this, they were always wiped out by that one truth:

...that Sasuke _had _always been honest about where he was going and what would happen if anyone tried to chase him. He had encouraged an entire village to forget about his existence, and had tried his best to make clean cuts with every person in his life. Even though he deeply betrayed and hurt everyone in his generation, no one could ever accuse Sasuke of being vague or deceptive about the ways in which he would destroy everything. Even though he killed his teammates in every way but physically, Sasuke was always, _always_ honest about what would happen if they couldn't let him go.

Sasuke left no room for confusion in what he did; which was just his way of saying that he left no room for guilt within himself.

And then Naruto felt somewhat sobered, because this whole conversation was supposed to be civil, and yet it was so predictable that it was almost humorous in the most non-funny way possible.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in confusion as Naruto began to massage his temples and laugh to himself.

"You hated this place, Sasuke. I mean, _**hated**_ it. And yet...the people who used to be scared shitless of you now walk the _streets_ with you, and things are so stupidly similar to how they used to be. It's as if-" He stopped then and laughed in disbelief. "You know what? Just...fuck it all."

"You have no idea what happened, but as usual, you're speaking from your own blind understanding." Sasuke seethed as he placed himself in Naruto's face.

"Well then tell me, Sasuke! There's nothing you can say to surprise me anymore, so tell me what could have _possibly_ prompted you to return to a village you hated, and who hated you in return! Please tell me, so I can finally know where I went wrong."

They were now in each other faces, hot breath bouncing off of each others cheeks as the tension rose to dangerous levels.

"There was nothing you could have done to change me. You didn't understand it then, and you still don't understand it now."

"You bastard." Naruto spat, and he found himself shoving Sasuke away from his face, because Sasuke was supposed to be villages, years and memories away from wherever Naruto was at any given moment. Sasuke came back twice as hard, shoving Naruto so hard that his breath was ripped from his lungs as he stumbled backwards.

And like the breaking of a rafter, both boys found themselves swallowing dust and grass as the verbal fighting spiraled into physical fighting, and Naruto winced as the wound on his back sent shock-waves through his body.

Kicking, punching, rolling, writhing, whatever it took to make the other get the point.

With a loud "ugh!", Naruto felt himself slam onto the ground as Sasuke fell on top of him, and began to punch him wildly. Grabbing his forearms, Naruto shoved Sasuke off of him and rolled to the side, reversing their positions. Looming over, he tried to blink the lights out of his eyes as the pain splintered through his body; accompanied by waves of nausea and light-headedness from the damage that the Kyuubi had inflicted to his body.

It was now that he remembered that he had a very real death sentence to consider, which meant he didn't have the rest of his life to resolve this issue with Sasuke like he had always counted on when their chance meetings ended disastrously. He wouldn't have a "next time" for long. He cursed the fact that they would always end up like this is he didn't make the first move.

And just like that, Naruto felt the will to fight simmer into something called perspective - a new concept that he had acquired within the past year. He hated it.

Before Sasuke could land one more blow, Naruto caught his clenched fist with his hand and held it there; hindering Sasuke completely and putting their fight on hold.

"Three years ago, I didn't think there was a chance in hell you'd come back on your own. If I had known you would, I never would have followed you like I did." Naruto quietly commented. And with that reply, Sasuke slowly brought his fist back to his side, and stared in complete perplexity at the blond. "I guess that can only mean I had no faith in you; and for that, I'm sorry." Naruto whispered, his sobered voice betraying the frustration of always having to be the first to apologize.

After what seemed a decade, Sasuke spoke up:

"Me too."

Naruto's eyes then shot upward into the Uchiha's out of slight surprise, but narrowed when he realized just how sorry Sasuke had never been his life.

"What?" He asked, making his wariness as evident as possible.

"I'm sorry. For everything." Sasuke replied as he stood up off of the younger boy and walked to the edge of the monument to stare at something in the distance.

"Where did this come from?" Naruto asked quietly, turning to try and find what Sasuke was looking at, though resolving that he could spend a hundred years and never find it.

"It needed to be said. A long time ago." Sasuke replied, and Naruto winced as he pulled himself into a sitting position and braced himself on his hands.

"What changed?"

"A lot of things." The Uchiha commented, and Naruto felt his mouth snap shut.

And for a while after that, Naruto just observed the darker boy and waited for some kind of something to be said, because he was speechless and shocked as hell that this interaction was even happening. The whole thing was so fucking weird, because the Sasuke in front of him resembled the Sasuke of his childhood that he had filed away years before.

When a reply from Sasuke never came, he spoke up himself:

"I never wanted things to get this bad."

"I know."

"I don't know why you came back, Sasuke, and if I never found out...that's fine. I can deal. But-" He stopped, and started again when Sasuke looked at him for the first time the way he used to. "...but what I do need to know is if we can put the last six years of our lives behind us."

"Things are different now, Naruto. It's not impossible."

And with that sentence, Naruto felt as though those six years of life that had been sapped from him were somehow atoned for. This whole scenario that he was in was supposed to be so gloriously impossible in every way, and yet it was transpiring.

After a few minutes, he spoke up:

"I still want to know why you returned though, and I'll figure it out." Naruto challenged, more-or-less to see if Sasuke would rise to it.

"And I'll find out why you faked your death and left." Sasuke retorted.

"Great." He commented through a laugh.

"Fine." Came the retort as the Uchiha smirked and looked out over the village, and Naruto tried not to acknowledge how frustrating and wonderfully nostalgic that smirk was.

"May the best man win?" Naruto chided, a slight smile displaying the way in which he slightly bit his tongue.

"Of course."

In the end, neither boy really had any intention of telling the other anything. Naruto figured Sasuke could try, but he would never willingly tell Sasuke the truth about the Kyuubi, and it was probably the same for Sasuke. If they were somehow going to be on better terms from here on out, it was imperative that he and Sai leave before anyone became comfortable enough to fight him for an answer.

As he and Sasuke parted ways from the mountain, he wondered how he was supposed to regard Sasuke from now on. Things would never be the same, but how similar would they be to there Genin days? He didn't want to think about it, mostly because he knew that if he _really_ thought about it, it was entirely possible for Team Seven to re-establish itself if it weren't for the Kyuubi. It was entirely possible for he, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi to fulfill the legacy that they had put on hiatus years before.

But it could never happen. He didn't have that kind of time anymore.

(SCENE CHANGE)

Naruto sighed in relief as he entered the hospital elevator and leaned his head back against the wall. Things were...getting easier. Opening the door to his room, he was abruptly met with the serious face of Sai closing the door behind him as he entered.

"We need to talk."


	11. Cruel Irony: Chapter 11 Torn

**REVISED.**

"DaisyTango likes honest reviews!" - Normal speaking

_"DaisyTango likes honest reviews!" _- Thoughts

**"DaisyTango likes honest reviews!" **Kyuubi's dialogue

**"No, you'll never be alone. When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars. Hear my whispers in the dark. No, you'll never be alone, when darkness comes you know I'm never far. Hear my whispers in the dark." - Skillet**

"We need to talk." Sai remarked quickly as he brushed past Naruto and closed the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, eyes following Sai to a window that he was currently closing. Pulling the curtains together, Sai turned to Naruto and spoke in a low tone.

"According to some resources, we are under investigation by the village Elders."

It was inconvenient, yes, but this news didn't surprise Naruto at all, and it shouldn't have surprised Sai either.

"What are they saying?" Naruto asked, eyes narrowing.

"There's speculation that our departure two years ago was actually an attempt to associate with an outside party. The circling theories are that we have come back to the village as spies for that outside party, or that we plan to attack and lead that party here from the inside."

"Let's just leave sooner. It's not that big of a deal." Naruto remarked, not sure why he wasn't seeing the same desperation in this that Sai was. An abstract expression flashed across Sai's face, indicating that there was more to this. There always was.

". . .but that's not all, is it?" Naruto somewhat whimpered.

"They know our stories don't add up, so they suspect us of lying. Hokage-Sama said she intends to fully cooperate with their investigation of us. She mentioned that we have every intention of leaving, so there's rumor spreading that they intend to ambush us into a domestic arrest."

"They can't do that. No citizen of Konoha can be arrested without proof, evidence, or reason to be arrested." Naruto replied defensively. He didn't know if he should be more upset about Sai's news of the arrest, or the news that Tsunade was willingly cooperating with the village Elders. She had never in her life smoothly cooperated with anyone of a higher authority.

"They do have reason, Naruto. We're missing nins."

And with that explanation, Naruto's mouth snapped shut. Ever since Sasuke had been declared a missing nin, Naruto had come to hate that word. It held so much betrayal and animosity, and he hated hearing it applied to himself. He may have technically been a missing nin, but it was in name only.

"It's only by Tsunade's grace that we haven't already been detained and thrown in prison."

"Shit." Naruto breathed through a sigh, dragging his hand down his face.

"There's more..."

"Of course there is." He scoffed, throwing his hands in the air and turning around.

"When you were in the hospital, Tsunade-sama made note of your slower healing times. She mentioned to the council that you have always had elevated healing levels, and even compared them with hospital records from your genin days. They always attributed that acceleration to the Kyuubi, so they've ordered that Yondaime's seal be checked."

To say Naruto felt sick would be an understatement. He could have handled any of their threats except this one.

"Do you know when they are planning on doing any of this?" Naruto asked seriously; his hand subconsciously covering the seal under his shirt.

"I don't know. I've heard it could be Saturday, possibly Sunday. If we get thrown into custody, they'll perform a series of tests on your seal." Sai said this carefully, as if he wanted Naruto to understand how badly this could go.

"Then we'll leave tomorrow."

Naruto saw Sai fold his arms in frustration as he rested his chin on one of his gloved hands. Naruto had come to know this as Sai's "deep in thought" pose, which usually meant he needed an alternative to a bad plan that he couldn't think of.

"We can't." Sai replied flatly, and Naruto balked.

"Why not? Do you understand what will happen if they find out the seal is almost dead? They'll try to fix the damn thing! They'll release the Kyuubi just trying to contain him!"

"I'm as aware of that as you are, but we've been put under seriously heavy watch by ANBU. They're covering a radius that stretches ten miles outside of the village. Leaving right now is realistically impossible."

"But-"

"Until we have a detailed plan, we can't try to escape from here. They'll capture us and put us under immediate arrest." Sai commented as he opened a dresser drawer and began rummaging through their clothes.

"But Sai!"

The drawer slammed shut as Sai turned towards Naruto with a humorless seriousness.

"We came here with a rushed plan and ended up getting captured by the same people who are planning to do it again. Do you want that to happen?"

Naruto's mouth settled into an angry line as Sai turned away and began rummaging through the next drawer.

"Besides, In your current condition, our chances for escaping are cut in half." Sai explained as he pulled a kunai out of one of his folded shirts.

Naruto traced his thumb across the roughly stitched wound under his shirt. He couldn't even hold Sasuke down an hour ago, so trying to combat an entire fleet of ANBU seemed stupid, but what the hell was left, then?

"What do you wanna do, then?" Naruto asked, not bothering to hide his frustration.

"We'll talk about it later. Now is probably not the best time." Sai remarked in a hushed tone as he flicked his eyes to the door. Naruto quieted as he heard two nurses walk past to begin their shifts for the day, both giggling quietly to themselves. Naruto laughed in disbelief.

"My life. I can't even..." He trailed off as he collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes. He felt the weight of the bed shift as Sai sat down on the edge.

"Speaking of your life, I never got to ask you. How _are_ you? You know, since the forest."

Naruto exhaled loudly and opened his cobalt eyes.

"I've been hit with poison that strong before. There was no reason for that to..." He trailed off, but they both knew what he was really trying to say. There was no reason for a poisoned kunai to hurt him that badly, which was just another way of saying his body was so much weaker than it had ever been before.

"You know what I mean." Naruto commented, trying to form a smile as he casually shrugged his shoulders.

"I know." Sai responded way too quietly for his taste. Getting up, Naruto moved to the window and peeled the curtains back, allowing the morning light to burst in and dissolve the darkness that this conversation was bringing. He frowned.

"Sometimes I can't sleep, and I feel dizzy. A _lot_. My vision's fading, too..." Naruto explained as he reeled the blinds up. "I'm getting tired all the time, and I have a lot of pain in stupid places. You know, like heart palpitations and stuff? But anyway..." He stopped and placed his hands on the sill, though Sai could only see the back of his head hanging forward. "I think I'm losing my damn body, Sai."

Sai watched a very real sadness fall over Naruto, and it was happening too much these days. Where there once was color, now seemed to be a lot of gray-tones.

"Sometimes I wonder if this is what it feels like when you..." He turned to face Sai, only to see the older boy quickly look away.

"Let's not even think about that right now, Naruto." Sai remarked.

"We knew this would eventually start happening." Naruto urged with a sad smile.

"I don't want to talk about this." Sai snapped, a frustrated expression on his face. Naruto laughed as he threw his arm around Sai's shoulder and sat next to him.

"Lighten up, you creepy bastard. I'm not dead yet." Naruto was surprised, however, when Sai threw his arm off of his shoulder.

"Don't joke about that, Naruto. It's not funny. It never will be."

"Okay, Okay. Damn, you're just as uptight as that bastard Sasu-" Naruto stopped talking when he glimpsed the unimpressed look in Sai's eyes.

It was no surprise to Sai that he and Sasuke had always been compared. They may have looked somewhat alike, and they may have even shared a few similar personality traits, but in everything that mattered, Sai was _nothing_ like Uchiha Sasuke.

"Nevermind. . ." Naruto trailed off. Sai cleared his throat indignantly and spoke up.

"Speaking of Uchiha Sasuke, I heard something rather interesting about him." Sai chided and inwardly smirked when the blond's interest peaked.

"Well...not that I care that much, because I _don't_, but what did you find out?"

"I heard that no one has seen him use the Sharingan since he returned. He either refuses to use it, or just isn't allowed to."

Sai watched as Naruto's eyes went glassy, as if he was recalling a memory or calculating some kind of mystery.

"Huh. Well that certainly explains why he didn't figure it out..." Naruto said more to himself than to Sai.

Sasuke had known for several years that Naruto's outrageous amount of chakra was the Kyuubi's doing. If he had really wanted to know why he couldn't recognize it the night before, he could have just communicated with the Kyuubi like he had three years ago. But he didn't, so why...?

"Figure what out?" Sai asked, jerking Naruto from his thoughts.

He tensed.

"Uh...nothing." Naruto remarked quickly. "_Ah shit." _He thought as he mentally punched himself in the back of the head.

"Naruto."

He sighed loudly and looked awkwardly at something on the ceiling. Carelessness would definitely be the death of him.

"Well...last night, Sasuke and I...uh...we kind of...talked?"

"Talked."

"Yeah. _Talked_."

"And when and how did this go down?"

"Well you see, it's actually kind of a funny story. I couldn't sleep, right?"

"Right." Sai commented flatly. Naruto coughed awkwardly and continued.

"Well anyway, I went for a stroll over to the Hokage Monument, and when I got there, Sasuke had followed me. Apparently, he didn't recognize my chakra and had followed me up there because he thought I was someone else. It was then that I realized that he didn't recognize my chakra, because it's not my chakra anymore! It's Kyuubi's mixing with mine, and he didn't recognize it! Isn't that a fucking riot?" Naruto laughed nervously as he waited for Sai to respond. Sai's hands went up to massage his temples at the blond boy's rushed explanation.

"Naruto, you really are very careless sometimes."

"Well, it's not a huge deal, because he dropped the issue. I told him I didn't need to explain anything to him, and he backed down. I think it's because I'm just a bad ass."

"Right..." Sai said as he trailed off. "But in all seriousness Naruto, I really would advise you to be on guard whenever he's around. You do realize that the Uchiha were the only clan in existence that were able to communicate directly with the Kyuubi, right? If he just happens to use the Sharingan while he's around you, he'll see the weakened state of the seal."

"Yeah I'm not worried. We'll be gone long before he would have the chance. Not to mention the fact that you said he hasn't even used his Sharingan since he returned."

"I'm serious, Naruto. Don't play around with this. Did you at least manage to talk about something productive while you were up there?"

"Yeah, we talked for a while, and...things are...better." Naruto remarked somewhat shyly.

Just as Sai was about to respond, however, both boys were interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door. Naruto's spirits lifted as a pink head of hair peeked through the door.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" She asked genuinely. Her cheery disposition quickly turned hesitant as she saw Sai and Naruto in what appeared to be an intense discussion.

"Of course not, Sakura-chan! We were just catching up." Naruto said through a bright smile. Sakura smiled back, but not before glancing at Sai's unreadable expression.

"Oh. Okay. Well how are you Sai?"

"I'm good, Sakura-chan."

"That's great! Well, uhm...Naruto and I are going to go shopping today, would you like to come?"

Naruto saw the surprise flash across Sai's face and wondered why he had reacted like he did.

"Yeah Sai. You know you have friends here too, right?" Naruto urged. Sai was obviously taken aback.

"Yes Sai, you're an equal part of Team Seven, too." Sakura replied sweetly. Naruto again saw the surprise flash across Sai's before he replaced it with one of his generic and fake smiles.

"As much as I would like to come, Sakura-chan, I have some business to attend to." Sai explained through a fake smile. Sakura frowned.

"Oh. Okay. Maybe next time?"

"Yes. That sounds great." Sai replied. Naruto watched as Sai opened the window and stuck one foot on to the roof outside before turning to look at him.

"Remember what I said." Sai replied before vanishing out the window.

"What did that mean?" Sakura asked with an obvious hint of concern in her voice. Naruto wasn't oblivious. Sakura knew they were planning to leave.

Naruto had been Sakura's crutch during the years of Sasuke's betrayal. Up until now, Sakura was forced to believe that Naruto was dead and gone; a lie that she had severely struggled to accept and never got over. But this time, they had been offered a second chance, and she had every reason to worry that Naruto might leave again: he was.

"Psh. I don't even know. Sai's just being his usual vague-ass self."

"Oh." Sakura replied as they both continued to stare out the open window; curtains blowing lightly into the room.

"Soooo...what do we do now?" He asked, rounding on her with a smile.

"Are you willing to let me take you shopping now?"

"Are you willing to let me buy something orange?"

"No."

"Worth a try..."

~*~ Scene Change ~*~

Naruto and Sakura walked happily through the busy and loud streets of Konoha. After an hour-long battle over shopping, Naruto re-entered the world of Konoha wearing typical black cargo-pants and a white, long-sleeve t-shirt. Naruto was initially unimpressed with the outfit's lack of sufficient orange coloring; however, Sakura had been able to convince him to buy the shirt due to the tiny, orange Kunai knife that had been embroidered on the bottom left corner of the shirt. Since he was technically considered a "missing nin", he wasn't permitted to wear anything with the Konoha symbol on it.

"And do you remember when we first met Kakashi-sensei, and he made us play that ridiculous game with the bells?" Sakura asked, stifling a laugh. They had been reminiscing on their Genin days since they left the hospital.

"Hahahaha yeah! I'm surprised you remember it, considering you fainted when you thought Sasuke's head was talking to you."

He was somewhat taken aback when Sakura laughed out-loud. It was the first time in a long time that she had ever truly been able to laugh like she had back then - back when laughing was easy to do, and even easier to take for granted.

"Was that before or after you ended upside-down in the tree?" She giggled.

"After the tree, but before I ended up tied to that post. Looking back, I don't know how I was able to walk in a straight line." He laughed. "Shit, how did we ever end up passing that test anyway?"

"Because Sasuke-" But she stopped herself then, because that was forbidden territory. That was the past, and it wasn't allowed in Naruto's present.

"Because Sasuke gave up his lunch for me." He commented, filling in the gap she had left. She glanced awkwardly at him and noted his sad smile, as if he was remembering a friend that had died. Shaking it off, he then turned to her and smiled brightly. "Of course, you did too. Man, those were the days."

"My favorite time of life." She beamed, though feeling the sadness fall on them like a sheet of rain to dampen the mood.

She and Naruto used to have these conversations when Sasuke was nothing but a memory to weep over. These talks were for the hard days - the days when they both needed reminding that the Sasuke that had betrayed them had once also cared for them. But a small part of her felt like this was cheating, because the Sasuke they used to cry for was here now. And healing. And okay. And willing to talk, and willing to participate, and willing to be apart of their lives in a way that was never supposed to be possible again. This was wrong, because they were talking about him like he was gone again, and he wasn't. Yes, they lost something valuable along the way, but they could get it back if Naruto would just-

She was jerked from her thoughts, however, when Naruto spoke up:

"I talked to him last night."

Stopping in the middle of the road, she rounded on him.

"What?" She asked somewhat breathlessly.

"Last night. We talked." Naruto replied matter-of-factly as he walked past her.

"...and? It went well...I hope?"

"Yeah. It did."

"So things are...good?" She asked cautiously.

She didn't know what Naruto or Sasuke's definition of "good" would be, but it should have undoubtedly been better than what they had been calling it for the last three years.

"I don't know about 'good', per say, but...better. He didn't tell me why he came back, but we did apologize. I figure that's the only thing we _needed_ to hear from each other." Naruto replied quietly as a small, genuine grin formed. And suddenly, Sakura felt a wave of emotion hit her.

Naruto glanced at her and noted that her face was hidden by her hair and her shoulders were slightly shaking.

"Uh...Sakura-chan? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Naruto asked, confused and somewhat panicked. Sakura looked up at him with silent tears streaming down her face as she smiled at him and laughed to herself.

"I'm not crying, baka! I'm just...I'm just really glad to hear you say that." She explained as she wiped one side of her face with her sleeve. "I just needed to hear you say that...just, thank you. Really."

"Thank _you_, Sakura-chan." He said softly, and she shook the hair back from her face.

"I know that things probably won't ever be what they were. I'm not that naive. But...just knowing that we've all come to some sort of understanding after _everything_ that's happened , it gives me hope that in the end, we kind of achieved the essence of what we used to be."

And then he smiled at her, though he felt sick to his stomach.

In the very short time that he had been here, he had gotten himself into a hornets' nest of trouble. But despite all of the complications with Kyuubi, the Elders, Tsunade, Kakashi and Sasuke, Sakura had spelled out everything that he had been thinking; the fact that Team Seven was possible again. It was everything Naruto had ever wanted to happen again. It wouldn't have been easy, and he and Sasuke still had so much damage to overcome, but the possibility was there, and that was enough to make Naruto hate the Kyuubi even more. A second chance at his favorite part of life was kind of being offered, and Kyuubi was going to wage war on him until he had lost absolutely everything.

_"But even if Team Seven were to establish itself, it's not like I would have much longer to-"_

"Are you okay ?" She asked with genuine concern, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah!"

The underscored question lay heavily in the air.

_"We have a second chance to make this work. Will you still run?"_

They both continued to walk through the streets of Konoha as they made there way to Ichiraku Ramen. They had found themselves reminiscing over their Team Seven days again, and Sakura was currently laughing so hard she was crying.

As they both continued making a blissful spectacle of themselves, they came upon the Ichiraku ramen stand where they both collapsed in the stools and continued to laugh. As they tried to catch their breath, however, they were approached in the street by Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Something must be hilarious." Kakashi tried to remark as friendly as possible; an obvious uncomfortable sound in his voice.

"Oh! Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke! Would you guys care to eat with us?" She asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Naruto nodded and smirked at Sasuke, who returned the gesture with a little less animation.

Naruto knew that Sasuke had never liked Ichiraku Ramen, but he would always eat there just because every other member of Team Seven did. Naruto also observed Kakashi as he conversed with Sakura, noting the complete lack of eye-contact that his sensei would not hold with him. It had been this way since he and Sai's disastrous return. He didn't expect Kakashi to be pleased by his behavior, but he didn't expect to be avoided. But realistically, he probably shouldn't have expected much at all.

_"I don't blame him. He taught us never to abandon your comrades, and it probably looks like I abandoned the village."_ Naruto thought somewhat discouragingly. He desperately wanted Kakashi to draw the conclusion himself, but he knew that his situation looked completely devoid of any kind of honor.

No one had blatantly asked he or Sai why they had left, and he was thankful for that. He wanted to clear his name. He wanted to make it known that he only left to protect them from the same monster who destroyed them years ago. The same one who was destroying him now. But he couldn't, because they would try to help, and that would be the worst possibly thing.

"Tell them, Naruto."

"Uh...about what?" Naruto asked dumbly as Sakura pulled him from his thoughts. He saw Sasuke roll his eyes, and felt his tongue touch the back of his teeth in preparation to bellow the traditional "Teme!"

"Tell them to join us for a little while so we can all catch up." She chirped.

"Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei! Join us for a little while so we can all catch up!" Naruto mocked, noting the (expertly-hidden) amused smirk spread on Sasuke's face. Sakura sent him a glare, but was interrupted from saying anything else as Kakashi spoke up:

"Sorry guys, but I'm afraid I have some business to take care of. Maybe some other time." And with that, Naruto watched as Kakashi-sensei disappeared, leaving nothing but a wispy puff of smoke behind.

"Sasuke, please stay." She urged, and Naruto took a moment to note that somewhere in the past two years she had dropped the "kun." In a way, he was proud.

"I have things to do."

"Come on, teme. It won't kill you." Naruto replied casually. He had expected all of their interactions to be awkward after their conversation the night before, but he hated how easy it was seeming to fall back into place. A place that existed only in his memories - memories that he was still dumbly trying to piece back together while simultaneously shaking off their dust.

"Please?" Sakura asked sweetly.

"Hn." Sasuke replied as he took a seat beside Sakura.

*One Hour Later*

"Do you..." She tried to begin, but was cut off by her own bubbling laughter. "Do you remember that day we tried to see what Kakashi-sensei was hiding under his mask? Didn't we make that our 'mission' or something?" Sakura giggled loudly.

"Ahaha yes! That was the best day ever. I still think he has some sort of disgusting facial deformity hiding under that thing." Naruto replied. "Ne, Sasuke?"

"Hn. Not likely." Sasuke smirked, but Naruto could tell he was trying not to be as amused as he was. Naruto spun in his chair and faced Sasuke, resting his head in one hand.

"Don't even try to put a disclaimer on that one, Sasuke. You were so curious you were about to piss yourself with excitement."

Naruto saw Sakura throw her hand over her mouth as she struggled to hold in the laughter. Sasuke cast a glare.

"You're ridiculous." Sasuke replied. "And wrong."

"Tch! At least I'm funny, ne?" He chided, eyes narrowing into a mischievous smirk.

"You always did measure yourself by the _least_ of what you were."

"Teme! You don't know who you're messing with, anymore! I could take you any _day_, any _time_, any _place_." Naruto challenged, smiling as he stood from his stool.

"Seriously, guys? You just healed, Naruto. Come on." Sakura complained as the two ignored her.

"Fine. You name it." Sasuke replied with a smirk, taking careful attention not to stand up to Naruto.

"Friday. 12:00. Central training ground. That's four days from now." He explained, holding four fingers up and wiggling them in front of Sasuke's face. "We'll spar for the first time in four years." It sounded foreign to every one, but Naruto brushed past it. He needed to desensitize himself to the fact that they couldn't completely avoid talking about his and Sasuke's departures. These things did happen, and they represented a huge portion of their lives.

Naruto couldn't remember the last time he and Sasuke had engaged in a civil spar. Sure, he could list off every violent and manic fight they had had while Sasuke was still under Orochimaru, Akatsuki and Taka, but those fights weren't his favorite to remember. He had the scars that never let him forget, anyway.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, which roughly translated to "I accept."

"Just don't cry too much when I dominate your ass." Naruto chided.

"But one more thing."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked carefully as the former smirk on Sasuke's face was replaced by a rigidness. Sakura glanced nervously back and forth between the two.

"If I win, you tell me why you left." Sasuke replied with unexpected intensity, indicating that this wasn't just a spar anymore, and Naruto was struck cold.

...but if Sasuke wanted to play dirty, he would use it to his advantage. Two could play at that game.

"Fine. But if I win, you tell me why you came back." Naruto replied with equal seriousness as the silence was filled with the sounds of the people around them. He may have been weaker than he used to be, but Sasuke wouldn't use the Sharingan. He wouldn't.

Both boys stared at each other: polished onyx locked onto impossible blue.

"Fine." Sasuke replied.

Naruto stuck out his fist and smirked at Sasuke. "May the best man win?"

"As always."

***One Hour Later***

"What time is it?" Naruto yawned as he stood up and stretched. The sun was setting, and they had now been there for over three hours, indicated by the lanterns that were now glowing red.

"It's 8:45."

"Ah shit."

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked as she and Sasuke pushed their stools back in.

"Blah. I was supposed to be at the hospital 45 minutes ago, which means I'm probably going to get chewed out."

"I'll walk back with you, Naruto. I have to pick up something from the clinic anyway."

The last three hours had only seemed like a few minutes. Naruto discovered that most of their generation was currently on a mission for Konoha that involved all of the familiar senseis as well - a reconstruction mission on some non-shinobi village. Sakura and Sasuke were excluded from those missions: Sakura because she was a medic-nin, and Sasuke for some reason Naruto didn't know, but figured it was most-likely because he was on probation. Shikamaru was a rank higher than the rest, and Ino had actually retired from Shinobi life in order to run her family's business. Kakashi had apparently been injured several weeks ago and was excluded from the mission. The only other person that Naruto still needed to see was Konohamaru. He hadn't seen him since the night he and Sai crashed the festival. Konohamaru was the first person to recognize Naruto through the henge. He wasn't sure he was ready to see.

The majority of their conversation had been spent talking about everything in the present. What was new _now_, how people were _now_. They steered clear of the "dark ages", as Naruto referred to them. There was no mention of Orochimaru, Itachi, Kyuubi, Team Taka - nothing.

"You coming, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"I'll walk you home." He replied. Naruto grinned, because Sakura was finally getting the side of Sasuke that she deserved and never really got, even in their best days.

"You want to explain your ridiculous appearance?" Sasuke asked randomly as they walked down the quieting streets of Konoha. It was navy-blue dark now, save for a few street lights.

Sasuke's question had caught Naruto off-guard, simply because he kept forgetting that he hadn't always looked like this. The darkened whisker marks and the patches of red in his hair really hadn't always been there, as hard as that was for him to believe anymore. He generally avoided his reflection as much as possible, for the traits were nothing more than a reminder that the Kyuubi was mixing himself with a body that couldn't support it: a body that was decaying because of the Kyuubi.

"I figured if I was gonna' go rogue for a while, I might as well disguise myself in case I saw someone I might have pissed off at some point along the way. I couldn't sustain a henge, so I just figured this was the easiest way to do it. Not to mention I look so bad ass it's almost scary." Naruto explained, hoping that he had sufficiently bullshitted his way through that again.

Naruto ignored Sasuke's blatant scoff of disbelief.

"Right. _'Bad ass_.' Sasuke reiterated in obvious patronization. Walking backwards to face them, Naruto playfully put his hands up.

"Hey, that's cool. Some people don't know how to handle jealousy. Poor Sai had to look at this everyday for two years."

Naruto figured that wasn't the best thing to say when he noted the shades of gray that the atmosphere seemed to drop to. Sakura quickly looked at Sasuke with a concerned expression before changing the subject.

Naruto knew that Sai and Sasuke had talked about something years ago when they went to Orochimaru's lair for the first time. He never found out what all was said between the two, but apparently, it had been enough to constitute major mutual dislike. He asked Sai once what went down, but the darker boy said it didn't matter. He figured it didn't.

As they made their way to the hospital, they were almost there when Naruto suddenly stopped in the road and and held his hand to his throat. They were walking by one of the training grounds.

The same training ground that Naruto had killed those men.

He stared at the training ground in wide-eyed, unbridled horror, and squeezed his chest when the heart palpitations beat against his throat.

_"No. Not here. Not now."_

He vaguely heard Sakura and Sasuke talking about something in the background, but it was muffled by the visions that were violently flashing in his eyes as his heart continued to beat wildly, his breath thinning into a few hurried wisps.

_Shit._

His head began to throb and his hands began to shake. He saw the torn skin and lifeless faces, the bubbling and burning of the concentrated chakra that radiated off of his skin. He saw red rainwater dripping down his animal body. He saw the bodies, heard the screams and tasted the sticky metallicy of blood he could not identify as his own.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked as she and Sasuke turned around to focus on the boy who had stopped walked. They glanced at each other, confused by his sudden silence. Naruto didn't even feel Sakura grab his hand from the front.

"Naruto. What's wrong?" She asked in what was quickly turning to panic. He couldn't breathe anymore. He couldn't breathe.

Naruto felt another hand grab his shoulder and spin him around roughly as neon lights pulsed in his eyes, and _fuck_, his head hurt. He heard the muffled voice of Sasuke yelling at him, and Sakura throwing around medical terms to describe what she was currently seeing.

Sakura and Sasuke then watched in horror as Naruto slammed into the ground, darkness clouding his vision as his body seized violently on the ground.

*SCENE CHANGE*

Naruto opened his eyes to a grainy darkness. He groggily perched himself up with his hands, and noted that he could hear drops of water hitting hitting a cement floor, sending echoes throughout the pitch-black room.

He was sitting in water. Black water. Standing up, he heard the water stream off of him as he willed his eyes to see _something_ in the dusty black.

He suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit him when he heard the raspy laugh of the Kyuubi echo around him; bouncing off the walls and racking his skull. He knew where he was.

"What do you want?" Naruto yelled out, anger and fear crippling his voice as he tried visualize the iron bars.

**"You know what I want, kit."** The Kyuubi laughed lowly.

"My answer is the same as before." Naruto called, this time rounding on the voice, only to be met with a great glassy eye peering at him from behind.

**"I must give you credit, Naruto. Coming back to your village after you promised to stay away. You must really like torturing yourself, don't you?"**

"After living with you my entire life, let's just say there's not a whole lot of pain that surprises me anymore."

**"Sure, sure. The **_**physical**_** kind, anyway." **He said through a gross, wet laughter.

"What the hell does that mean!" Naruto spat in anger. He didn't need the bane of his existence lecturing him on feelings.

**"You didn't really think you could come back to this village and leave again, did you? Since we're having this little confessional, let's at least be honest with each other, hm?**" Naruto watched as the demon fixated his splintered pupil on him. **"When you leave again, you will be one hundred times as miserable as you were before you returned."**

"And why is that?"

**"Because you know now that you could have everything that you ever loved again. Tonight was just a small taste of the life that you so desperately long for. Pity, throwing it all away like this..."**

"Cut the shit. You know as well as I do that I'm dying. I'm not going to risk their lives just so I can have one year with all of them."

**"That's where your wrong, Naruto. You don't think I could heal you just as quickly as I've been killing you? If you just let me out now and again, I could heal your decaying body exponentially faster than I ever have before."**

And Naruto didn't have a response, only because he never considered the fox would make such a deal. The Kyuubi was a tempter, and a damn good one at that. He wouldn't lie about the healing. The few times in his life that he had let the Kyuubi surface were the times when Naruto healed faster than any one in the ninja nations.

Naruto flinched as a small orange fox fluidly weaved between his legs, and jumped onto his shoulder.

**"Just think about it, kit. Everything that you wanted and fought for could happen again if you just let me surface now and again. You could resume your journey to be Hokage, settle down and start a family. And the artist who has traveled with you would get a chance at the same happiness that you knew so long ago.**" Naruto then watched as the Kyuubi's black jowls curved into a smirk, revealing enormous yellow fangs. **"You could even start anew with the Uchiha brat again, which is something that not even _I_ could have promised."**

Naruto flinched as one of the fox's tails brushed across his cheek. He was trying hard -_damn_ hard- to de-glamorize the Kyuubi's new proposal. It was everything that Naruto wanted. _Everything._ He had never wanted anything else more than what the Kyuubi was offering. He could be Hokage. He could be with Sakura and Kakashi and his friends. Naruto also frowned when he remembered Sai's surprise at being invited by Sakura earlier that day. Sai was forgetting the friendships he had made in Konoha because he had left with Naruto. And Sasuke...

"I..."

**"Yes, kit?"**

A thousand images and thoughts flashed in Naruto's head. He saw the picture of Team Seven shattered and as a whole. He saw the mangled bodies of the men, Tsunade's smiling face, Sakura's pained expression after Kyuubi poisoned her, Kakashi, Gai-Sensei, Iruka and the Rookie Nine. He saw his missions with Team Seven: Haku and Zabuza, Jiraiya, Konohamaru and the Third Hokage. He saw Sakura. He saw Sasuke. He saw everything he loved, and everything he hated. But out of all of the images that whizzed through his mind, the one that stood out the most was the destroyed village of Konoha as the feral, released form of Kyuubi ravaged it the day he was born.

"I...can't." Naruto whispered quietly.

Naruto heard the overwhelming silence that resumed after.

Naruto suddenly felt a splash of water hit his face as he began to see large bubbles of orange chakra popping above the water and spattering his skin with burns.

**"I will ask you one last time, Naruto. After this, I will never offer you another proposal. If you deny me, you will live in agony for the rest of your short life."**

Naruto knew what his decision was, and he felt the darkest and most forlorn he had ever had to feel.

"If I have to risk the lives of hundreds of people just so I can feel the happiness that I was lucky enough to have felt before, then I don't want this deal." Naruto said as his voice cracked.

The full impact of what he had turned down hit Naruto like a freight train. He had turned down the life he had spent years crying and fighting for. He had turned down Konoha. He had turned down Team Seven. And the part that sickened him the most, was the fact that he had turned down his second chance - the chance that so many people wish for and are never lucky enough to have.

Naruto winced as the roar of the Kyuubi pierced the room, causing the orange chakra bubbles to pop hysterically. The fox that was on his shoulder now sprung off of him, hissed, and slashed its claws through his shirt and into the seal on his stomach; obscuring even more of its intricate detail. Falling to his knees, Naruto cradled his hand to his stomach as the fox spirit darted into the darkness.

What felt like liquid magma began to burst through his veins, and he knew then that the fox spirit had ruptured another breaker in the seal. Probably one of the last ones.

**"Go now, and spend the rest of your limited days in agony, misery and regret knowing what you turned down!"** The Kyuubi snarled through his black jowls, hurling foam to the corners of the room. A white light was now bursting through the black walls, sending huge fragments of black glass into the water.

Relief spread through Naruto, because this nightmare was ending.

As the white light veiled everything, he was left with the echoing words of the Kyuubi that were told to him many months ago before any of this had ever happened.

**"I told you, Uzumaki Naruto...**

**If I can't live...**

**Neither can you."**


	12. Cruel Irony: Chapter 12 Confusion

Previously:

_Naruto felt a hand harshly grab his shoulder and spin him around roughly. He heard the muffled voice of Sasuke yelling at him, and Sakura throwing around medical terms to describe what she was currently seeing._

_Sakura and Sasuke then watched in horror as Naruto slammed into the ground, darkness clouding his vision as his body seized violently on the ground_.

_**"I told you, Uzumaki Naruto...**_

_**If I can't live...**_

_**Neither will you."**_

Current: 

"Where is he?" Tsunade barked as she burst into the room. Stress and worry was written all over her face as she roughly grasped Naruto's face with her hand. She peeled his eyelid open and began waving her flashlight across his lifeless pupils.

"What happened Sakura?" Tsunade asked urgently as she struggled to diagnose the unconscious blonde.

"He..." Sakura bit her lip in hesitation. "He fainted."

"He fainted?"Disbelief rang through Tsunade's exclamation as she rounded on Sakura. Sasuke looked back and forth between Sakura and Tsunade as both teacher and student seemed to be having a silent conversation between themselves.

"Yes. We did too much today...I-I shouldn't have pushed him so hard." She trailed off as she averted her eyes to the wall. Sasuke noticed the unimpressed look Tsunade sent Sakura's way after her explanation.

"Were there any other symptoms?"

"He was shak-" Sasuke tried to reply before Sakura suddenly cut him off.

"No. He turned very pale, as would be expected with someone suffering from dramatically low blood pressure." She sent a sympathetic look towards Sasuke whose face was a mix between surprise and annoyance that she had so blatantly cut him off.

"How low was his blood pressure at the time of his collapse?"

"It was ninety over sixty." Sakura said carefully as she saw the alarm flash across Tsunade's face.

"That's dangerously low, Sakura. Medically speaking, he should have been showing other visible symptoms as well."

"I'm sorry Sensei, it just happened so fast that I didn't look for obvious symptoms until after it happened. He gave no indication that he was feeling at all sick, and just five minutes before he collapsed, his color was fine and he was speaking normally."

"Is he okay now?" Sasuke abruptly interjected between the two arguing medical ninja. Tsunade's expression softened as she and Sakura ceased their debating and turned their attention to the annoyed Uchiha.

Sakura knew that Sasuke had always prided himself on being unconquerable in high-stress situations. It came naturally to him, and he was good at it. But now, even though it was a small inkling of a hint, Sakura could tell that he was aware of the fact that this didn't look good.

Tsunade crossed her arms and spoke in a sobered voice at the Uchiha:

"He'll be fine for now. He's unconscious, but not dead. The only thing he needs now is rest. Reckless brat..." Tsunade remarked softly as she turned and lightly brushed Naruto's sweat-dampened bangs out of his eyes. Sasuke noted the conflicted expression flash across Tsunade's face as she ran her fingers over his forehead and down his cheek. The only movement that could be seen was the soft heaving of Naruto's chest.

"Why are you doing this..." Tsunade whispered to herself as she continued to study Naruto in obvious frustration. Sasuke glanced quickly at Sakura, who looked away just as fast.

Sasuke watched as Tsunade craned her neck towards a distracted Sakura.

"Sakura, may I speak with you in the hall please?"

"Yes, sensei." Sakura remarked quietely and in what Sasuke could only identify as defeat.

Sasuke moved forward to walk out with them when Tsunade placed her hand on his chest, inhibiting his movement. Normally the Uchiha would have considered this a threatening and ill-advised gesture, but the seriousness in her eyes distracted him from any defensive reaction.

"You stay here, Uchiha. I just need to have Sakura file a medical report for our records. Be here when he wakes up."

(Naruto's POV)

_"What happened?" _Naruto thought groggily as the remnants of a headache raged against his skull. He slowly opened his eyes to a warped and blurry room.

_"Am I drunk?" _He mused as he struggled to come up with a reason for his present misery. As he sat up, he could feel his eyes darting around what he now recognized as a hospital room. He could feel his eyeballs throbbing lightly with the pain in his head as a wave of nausea overtook him.

"Damn. What the hell did I _do_?"

"You passed out."

Naruto rounded on Sasuke who was standing to his left; a smug look plastered on his face as he crossed his arms casually.

"What are you doing here?"

"Babysitting your sorry ass."

"Tch!" Naruto spat half-heartedly as he ignored the Uchiha's insult. A throbbing headache and a raging sense of disorientation weren't enough to completely cripple his verbal challenges with the bastard, but they were enough to take the fun out of it.

His hair, still damp with sweat, hung around his face and neck. "What the hell happened to me?" Naruto asked as he winced through the pulsating waves of pain.

"You tell me."

Naruto deadpanned at the Uchiha who was now beside his bed.

"You know, it might just be me, but normally when people ask what happened to them, it usually means they really don't know." Naruto replied sarcastically.

He smirked when he saw Sasuke resist the urge to fight back. An evil smile spread across Naruto's face as Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the amused blonde. With a cheeky grin, Naruto beat him to a response:

"What is this? Uchiha Sasuke isn't kicking someone when they're down? Satan must be pulling the sled out at this very moment."

"Shut up, usurakontachi. You passed out, and you better have some kind of explanation for it." Sasuke remarked with uncharacteristic vigor. Naruto raised his eyebrow as Sasuke visibly back-tracked from his somewhat assertive tone of voice. Naruto nearly laughed out-loud as he watched the Uchiha try and disguise the urgency. Sasuke cleared his throat and spoke up:

"She's already mad that you left AMA*. She'll be equally pissed if you don't cooperate with her at her attempts at a diagnosis."

_"A for effort, I guess."_ Naruto thought as he mentally judged Sasuke's cover-up for the concern.

He couldn't deny it. It felt good to know that Sasuke was even marginally concerned for him. It had been years since Sasuke showed him anything but animocity, frustration and bloodlust. It was nice to see an indicator of what Sasuke used to be; the Sasuke he thought he'd never see again, and the same Sasuke he was still trying to get used to.

"Well when did I collapse?"

"When we were walking home. You stopped and just...stared. Then you collapsed. Sakura and I brought you back he- what does that look mean?" Sasuke abruptly asked in annoyance as he caught the unimpressed look that Naruto was sending him.

"I stopped and stared? At what? The clouds?" Naruto asked through a smile and concealed laughter. The explanation sounded ridiculous coming from the Uchiha. He smirked as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"No, you idiot. I don't know what you were staring at, but it was something in the North training ground."

Sasuke caught the visual shock that reverberated off of Naruto's face at his suggestion, indicating that the blonde now remembered exactly what had happened.

"Ugh. Fuck." Naruto replied to himself as he closed his eyes and fell back into the bed.

That same feeling of dread washed over Naruto as his conversation with the Kyuubi came back to him: He was going to die. He lost his chance at life, love and happiness, and he was going to die quickly and painfully. That was it. There was no more negotiating or window of opportunity to save himself, and no divine intervention or ancient jutsu that had the power to rival the Kyuubi. Naruto Uzumaki had willingly signed his death wish.

_"Well, I guess that's it. I did the right thing, and when things start to get...bad...at least I'll die knowing that they..." _Naruto let the thought die on its own. He wasn't sure he had a resolution to it anyway, and dwelling on death wasn't something he willingly wanted to participate in.

"Well?" The Uchiha asked as he interrupted Naruto's inward ramblings. Naruto sent the Uchiha a conflicted look.

_"He doesn't need to know. __**No one**__ needs to know. I don't want their last memories of me to be influenced by this. I want them to think of me the way they always have.." _Naruto thought with surprising vigor and determination. Everything he and Sai had tried to hide may have fallen hideously apart, but this was the one thing he would not allow to crumble. He couldn't let his last few days, months, years, _whatever_, be spoiled by the irrational attempts of people trying to save him and killing him with their worry. If he could handle this burden alone and allow them to think that he was just leaving for a roguesque lifestyle, he could deal with the uncertainty that death inevitably brings. For now, ignoring was the only real solution to the crippling fear and anxiety.

"Naruto." Sasuke urged.

"WELL, Sasuke, I think this is all a little ridiculous." Naruto chirped as he sloppily threw his legs over the bed and stretched dramatically.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked as he straightened up. Naruto avoided his gaze as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Uhh...leaving? All I did was pass out. I do it all the time, it's not that serious."

"Are you an idiot?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"Probably." Naruto laughed. Sasuke watched as Naruto shook his wild hair like a wet dog and peered straight at him with his usual dopey grin. "Well, I guess there's nothing more to be done. See you tomorrow, Sasuke. Tell Granny-Tsunade that I'm going back to my room, ne?" Naruto ordered as he started for the door.

He blanched as the Uchiha suddenly stepped between he and the door.

"As a Jounin for the Hokage, I cannot allow you to leave without direct affirmation from the Hokage." Sasuke replied robotically. Naruto cast Sasuke an unimpressed look.

"Well that's cute. How much do you get paid to say that?" Naruto asked in sarcasm as he again reached for the doorknob, only to be beaten to it by Sasuke. He would have considered this a playful challenge if it weren't for the seriousness in Sasuke's eyes. Naruto suddenly felt uncomfortable at the closeness between he and Sasuke. There was only an inch between his hand and the door, and even less between he and Sasuke's faces.

"Sasuke, you're being-"

"I don't care."

Sasuke asserted before Naruto could finish. He winced as Sasuke's warm breathing fluidly framed his eyes. Sasuke's eyes were half-lidded, but his body was alert.

Naruto had never in his life been intimidated by Sasuke, but upon closer observation, it was easy to see how others could have been. His eyes were dark. Darker than night, and twice as intense. His hair was just as black and jutted out in angles. His skin was pale enough to appear ghost-like, and his voice was too deep and intense to be considered anything short of diabolical. It may have had the potential to scare some people, but it also had the same potential to be highly attractive, and Naruto found the latter to be more realistic.

He froze.

_"What the FUCK, Naruto? You did not just describe that bastard as being attractive. It must be the disorientation. Yeah, that's definitely what it is."_ Naruto rationalized to himself out of pure self-defense. Sasuke had never been attractive. Never.

Naruto suddenly felt the need to get out of the room as quickly as possible. He reached for the door handle again, but before he could grab it, he was halted by Sasuke's hand firmly pushing on his chest. Naruto glanced at the hand, then back into the Uchiha's still-defiant eyes.

"I can't let you leave. She told me to stay here and wait."

"Damn, Sasuke. I'm fine, and you know it too."

"I don't know that." He somewhat growled.

Naruto caught the slightly frustrated tone his sentence carried.

"But _I_ do, and that's all that should matter right now. I would hate for this to get physical." Naruto replied through a cheeky-yet-mischiveous grin. Sasuke snorted.

"Right, dobe. You're too disoriented to find your own ass right now."

Naruto scoffed, but mostly to hide the fact that he knew it was true. He was currently describing Sasuke as being attractive. He was obviously delirious.

Needing to be free of all of the tension, Naruto advanced into Sasuke with the intent to stifle him. When in doubt, show yourself to be the alpha right?

Wrong.

Sasuke wasn't easily intimidated. But as a missing-nin who had a fragile reputation to protect, Sasuke wouldn't allow himself to make a scene.

Naruto smirked as he suddenly felt Sasuke tense under what he figured was defiance to the blonde's advancements. He leaned in closer to Sasuke as he felt himself hit with a wave of heat at their ridiculous closeness. He could feel the Uchiha's hair tickling the side of his nose as he put his mouth a mere centimeter away from Sasuke's ear.

"Hey Sasuke - why so tense?" He whispered quietely. But before he had time to react, he was suddenly shoved backwards by Sasuke who now had an insane look in his eyes. Naruto was surprised by his reaction, simply for the fact that Sasuke seemed to be genuinely upset.

"Back off, Naruto." Sasuke remarked darkly as his eyes fell into shadow under his onyx-colored hair. Naruto stood in utter confusion.

_"What kind of reaction was that?" _Naruto thought in legitimate confusion. Sasuke had never been threatened by any of his advancements, and even rose to their challenges to defend his pride. It was what they did. They challenged each other in any possible scenario that life threw at them, and then some. But Sasuke had never reacted so harshly before, and Naruto was too tired and too spent to try and decode the feelings of Sasuke Uchiha.

Before anything else could be said, however, both boys were jerked from their argument as a knock was heard on the door.

"Uchiha? Are you in there?" Tsunade's muffled voice called through.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama." Sasuke remarked as he stepped away from the door; his eyes silently berating Naruto to stay back.

Naruto instantly changed his mood as he saw Tsunade walk through the door. Tsunade halted when her gaze found Naruto.

"So, brat, you feeling better?"

"I feel like happiness personified." Naruto lied as he shot Sasuke a wary look for his audible snort. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the Uchiha and the blonde.

"What?" Naruto asked innocently.

"Nothing. Naruto, I need to speak with you alone." She turned her attention towards Sasuke. "Do you mind? You and Sakura can see him tomorrow."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Naruto laughed and sent him the middle finger behind Tsunade's back. Sasuke was too uptight to react to Naruto in front of the Hokage.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Sasuke replied as he walked through the door. Tsunade waited for his footsteps to fade before turning her attention back to Naruto.

"You're a damn liar, Naruto."

"I love you too."

"Cut the crap, Naruto. Sakura told me what really happened."

Shock riddled through his body at Tsunade's implication. Surely Sakura couldn't have figured everything out. There was no way. All he did was collapse under exhaustion by the Kyuubi. Sakura couldn't have had the time or skills to deduce the real reasons for his exhaustion.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"She told me that you didn't pass out, Naruto. She said you were seizing." She stressed the word to try and make Naruto understand just how serious of an issue it was.

"Isn't that like collapsing?" Naruto asked naiively.

"Naruto, a seizure is nothing like passing out. Collapsing is caused by simple things such as low blood sugar or exhaustion. Seizures happen because of severe underlying causes affecting the brain."

Naruto could tell that she was trying her best to portray the severity of this to him, but when faced with the absolute guarantee of death, he found that he had a hard time being scared by anything less than death. Sure, he was surprised by the seizure, but he wasn't scared. "Scared" happened when the outcome or problem was uncertain. Naruto knew both the problem and the outcome. There wasn't a whole lot anyone could say to suprise him anymore. The only thing that scared him now was the possibility that they would try to fix him.

"Listen, Granny-Tsunade, I. Am. Fine. I've had two hours of sleep in the last day, and I have a gaping scar on my stomach. A seizure is actually probably the least of what I should be experiencing right now." Naruto reassured happily, however, nothing could have prepared him for what she said next.

"Naruto, I know you're sick." She replied flatly.

"Sick?" Naruto asked in pretend confusion.

"Something is deeply wrong with you. It's not the wound on your stomach, it's not your lack of sleep and it's not exhaustion. You are hiding something, and you need to know that I am aware and have every intention of finding out why."

Naruto was surprised. Surprised, and nervous. She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew enough. It was only a matter of time before things got uncontrollable, and he and Sai would have to cut their time short.

"Granny-Tsunade, please understan-"

"Do not lie to me, Naruto. I know you are suppressing pain beyond my knowledge, and it kills me to know that you won't say why. I figure that whatever this is, its responsible for you leaving three years ago, and it's the reason you're leaving now, and quite frankly, I don't understand what you're trying to do. Sakura tried to cover for you tonight in front of the Uchiha, because she knows somethings wrong with you too."

Naruto said the only thing that mattered to him at that moment.

"Please don't tell anyone." Naruto remarked through resigned defeat. He caught the surprised look flash across Tsunade's face. Her fears had been confirmed.

"Tell me what's wrong with you, and I won't."

"I can't." He replied through gritted teeth. He felt his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands.

"Why?" She barked, her voice escalating to a dangerous level.

"Because there is nothing anyone can do!"

Naruto saw her visible suprise as she waited for him to expound.

"Sai and I...we spent the past two years looking for something, anything to fix this...and we just..."

"What, Naruto? Please just tell me." She replied, her voice softening with obvious hurt as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She knew this was serious, but not serious enough to have been happening for the past two years.

"I'm sorry, Granny-Tsunade, but I can't involve anyone. That would be the worst possible thing."

"Naruto."

"I'm sorry." He remarked so softly is was almost inaudible. He refused to meet her eyes.

He heard the soft sound of her foot-steps backing away as she took her hand off of his shoulder.

"I will not tell anyone, Naruto. But I do not intend to leave this alone. Just know that I will find out why you are doing this. The Naruto I knew, he wouldn't..." She replied quietely as she trailed off.

Naruto knew she was hurt. If anyone could have helped Naruto, it would have been Tsunade. She was legendary for her skills in Medical Ninjutsu, and had the knowledge and determination to back it all up. For him not to trust that she could do anything probably stung badly, and he knew it.

"Goodnight, Naruto. I'll let Shizune know you're coming back to your room." She remarked quietely as she opened the door.

"Good night, Granny-Tsunade." He replied quitely, but before she could hear it, the door shut; leaving Naruto with nothing but his guilt, frustration and discouragement.

(SCENE CHANGE)

It was now 2:00 am as Naruto made his way back to the hospital. After his conversation with Tsunade and he and Sasuke's strange behavior towards each other, his mood had taken a downward spiral. Confusion, frustration and fear were never a healthy combination.

As he walked along the deserted streets of Konoha, his thoughts raced back and forth between all of his current obstacles; leaving Konoha, Sasuke, Tsunade, the domestic arrest, Sai, Kakashi and his impending death.

He knew that all of Konoha had probably come to the conclusion that Uzumaki Naruto, the Village's Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja who swore to never give up, was giving up on life and everything he ever stood for. He cringed at the thought of it. He wasn't giving up. He would never dream of giving up. His desire to be Hokage was as strong as it had ever been, but it had been eclipsed by the possibility that if somebody tried to help him, he would endanger everyone and everything that ever meant something to him. No one could mess with the Kyuubi and get away with it. Naruto was living proof.

_"I know they all think I've given up, but I just wish they would all..."_ He fell back against the wall and stared half-lidded at the moon; the same moon he had observed just weeks before on the night he and Sai had decided to come back. He cocked his head slightly as he observed the moon.

_"Moon. Thank you for being the one thing in my life that has remained constant."_ He thought bitterly as he observed the pale purple patches of color on its exterior. The moon was such a stark contrast to it's dark, shapeless counterpart.

_"Same color as Sasuke-teme's eyes..." _Naruto thought before he instantly caught himself. To say his awkward thoughts about Sasuke that night had shocked him would be an understatement. He continued to attribute their origin to his disorientation, but he still felt uncomfortable with them. He had always admired Sasuke. He wouldn't deny that, and Sasuke knew it too. But admiring is nothing even remotely close to meaning attractive.

_"Maybe I've just seen him in a dark light for so long, that now that the old Sasuke is resurfacing, I'm just overkilling my relief in seeing him like this." _Naruto thought as a way to pacify his thoughts.

Considering Sasuke as anything more than a brother would completely jeopardize an already-fragile friendship they were sustaining. To even introduce the word "attractive" into the mix would be the most ill-advised move Naruto could even fathom. He had to give it to Sasuke though; if anyone could make him question his sanity and complicate matters beyond a human capacity, it would be Sasuke Uchiha. But the only person Sasuke considered worthy enough to be an equal was Naruto, and Naruto would be damned if he ever let Sasuke forget it.

Putting the thoughts of Sasuke into the back of his mind, Naruto continued to walk the streets of Konoha on his way back to the hospital. Upon closer observation, some things had changed, but for the most part, they were the same. He wanted to see the rest of the Rookie Nine, but he didn't know how he would explain himself.

_"If everyone thinks I'm just surrendering to life for some half-assed reason, then maybe it's best that I don't see anyone else. I don't want anyone to think of me like that, but I'd rather them think of me that way than as a dying man."_

Naruto suddenly felt anger flooding through his body for the trillionth time.

"Dammit!" He shouted harshly.

"Yo." Came the resounding reply as Naruto suddenly rounded on a very casual-looking Kakashi who was precariously balancing himself in a tree. Naruto looked up at him in surprise as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Kakashi-sensei? What...are you doing?"

"Just enjoying the scenery, I guess."

Naruto looked around and noted the buildings and dark alleyways that made up the only scenery Kakashi would have been able to see. He gave Kakashi the benefit of the doubt and decided not to pursue this one.

"Easy to please?" Naruto asked.

"Yepp." Kakashi remarked somewhat distractedly as he stared into the proverbial night sky. Naruto suddenly felt awkard. Kakashi had treated him strangely since the moment he had arrived. Naruto had concluded that Kakashi was unimpressed with his seemingly-cowardly behavior, which attributed to Kakashi's uncharacteristic avoidance of Naruto.

Kakashi was the initiator of Team Seven. Without him, he, Sakura and Sasuke might as well have gone their separate ways and never looked back. That's what would have happened if Kakashi hadn't been there to bring out the best in them.

Kakashi was most responsible for the glory of the Team Seven days that they all cherished. Naruto never knew how Kakashi felt about Sasuke abandoning Konoha, but he figured his behavior towards him now was the closest thing there was, but even more so. Everyone knew that Sasuke had a goal that superceded Team Seven, and most people assumed Sasuke would be the one to walk away. But Naruto was the one who said he would never do it; and he did.

"Ne, Naruto. How about we go for a little walk?" Kakashi asked he he continued to stare deeply into things that Naruto now figured went much deeper than the night sky. He lazily turned his gaze towards Naruto.

Naruto didn't especially want to talk with Kakashi about his behavior, but he trusted Kakashi and knew he needed to make amends before he lost his chance indefinitely.

"Uh...sure." Naruto tried. Kakashi landed gracefully in front of his most unpredictable student.

"I guess we can start by me asking how you've been."

"I've been pretty good, Kakashi-sensei. And yourself?" It sounded beyond fake.

"I've seen better days, but for the most part, I'm good."

Naruto could tell they were treading very thin ice, and he hated that people had to feel that way around him. Naruto was surprised as Kakashi suddenly stopped in the middle of their walking.

"There's no point in us acting this way, Naruto, so I guess I'll just come out and say it. Why did you leave?"

"I can't explain it." Naruto remarked for what seemed the hundredth time. "It's...difficult to understand..." Naruto could tell that Kakashi was dissatisfied with this explanation, but he carried on anyway. "I know you probably think I'm a coward, bu-"

"What?" Kakashi asked in obvious surprise.

"Isn't that why you've been avoiding me?" Naruto caught himself. "I mean, you always taught us to value loyalty to our comrades, and it probably looks like I didn't..."

"Naruto, I don't understand why you left, but I never once thought it was because you were being a coward." Kakashi said in a seriousness that Naruto had rarely seen. If Kakashi hadn't lost all faith in him for leaving, then what was the reason for his avoidance?

"Then why have you avoided me?" Naruto asked in genuine confusion.

"I felt...guilty." Kakashi remarked as he turned away from Naruto. All Naruto could see was the completely-masked side of Kakashi's face.

"Guilty?"

Naruto noted the inward battle Kakashi seemed to be waging with himself.

"Sometimes, when I look back on my days when I taught you three, I think I might have given the impression that I valued Sasuke more than you or Sakura."

Naruto visibly faltered. Where had this come from?

"Maybe you did, but it never phased me. If anything, it helped me to try harder to prove myself just as valuable as Sasuke. I never thought you were showing favoratism or anything..."

"And I want you to know that I never would have intentionally. It's just, I saw so much of myself in Sasuke, and I think I made it too personal."

Naruto could tell this had been on Kakashi's mind for quite some time.

"Is that what this is all about?"

"Naruto, I know you well enough to know that you left this village for a good reason, but during all of this time, I couldn't help but wonder if you left feeling that you couldn't rely on anyone, and I feared that I had done you an injustice by making myself so exclusive to Sasuke. I don't know what it is, but I just want you to know that if something is wrong-" He didn't finish, and Naruto didn't need him to.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto knew that Kakashi had never been emotional in his life. He wasn't as stoic as Sasuke, but he never openly epxressed his feelings, which probably contributed to the similarities he saw between he and Sasuke. Kakashi didn't have to say much, but Naruto knew that this was Kakashi reaching out as best he could.

This was the most honest that Naruto had ever seen Kakashi, and he didn't know if he liked it. Kakashi was the rock of their team, and many times, emotionally-stabile enough to have been considered Hokage-material by many people. Kakashi was trying to truly understand Naruto, and he was showing it as best as he could, but confliction didn't look good on Kakashi.

"Have you talked to Sasuke?" Kakashi asked bluntly. Naruto figured that since they were both being so honest, there wasn't really a point in holding anything back.

"Yeah."

"How'd that go?" He asked in somewhat of an elevated interest.

"Things are...better." He replied hesitantly. "Lightyears better than they have been, anyway. If you had told me a year ago that Sasuke would return to Konoha of his own free will, I would have sent myself into a raging fit of laughter. Who knew that all I had to do was back off..." Naruto remarked jokingly to himself, although Kakashi could tell that Naruto was struggling with Sasuke's return and had measured his self-worth by it. Sasuke always was Naruto's own personal mission, and his failure to bring him back had affected him badly.

"You know, when Sasuke returned, he almost left again."

"Really. Why?" Naruto asked through a yawn. This didn't shock him simply because Sasuke Uchiha was habitually indecisive about a lot of things.

"Because he found out you weren't here." Came the reply. Naruto faltered. _That_ got his attention.

"Riiight..." Naruto remarked blankly.

"No, I'm serious. When he came back, he asked to know where you were, and when it was implied that you had died, he almost left."

"Why? Wasn't it implied that I was dead?"

"He didn't believe you had died. Especially since Sai left with you, he assumed you had left of your own free will and considered your departure to be too sketchy. He wanted to find you, Naruto."

"Why didn't he?" Naruto ventured against his better judgment. He was playing with fire, and he knew it.

"The Village told him that if he left before they put him on a fair trial, they would sentence him to immediate and permanent exile. By that time, Sasuke had formally surrendered to Konoha and announced his desire to revoke his title of missing-nin under the promise that he would re-affirm his loyalty to Konohagakure. In the end, it was made clear to Sasuke that if he waited out his two-year probation, he would be allowed to search for you and return home again as a citizen of Konoha. His two-year probabtion will end next week. His motivation to find you didn't stop until the night you showed up."

"Why are you telling me this?" Naruto asked quietely.

"I know you consider Sasuke to be your greatest failure, and I know you are judging your self-worth because of it. But Sasuke's return had to be prompted by Sasuke himself, and there was nothing that you, or I, or anyone could have said or done to change that." A few minutes passed as Naruto allowed that to sink in. He wondered how this was supposed to make him feel better, but it was true. Before he could continue his thoughts, however, Kakashi spoke up again:

"But even so, Naruto, I don't think Sasuke would have returned had it not been for you. Even though he fought you every step of the way, you _made_ him realize that he was valued somewhere whether he liked it or not. And when the time came, he fell back on that and trusted that you meant what you said. I guess I just want you to realize that it wasn't for nothing. You may have not physically brought Sasuke back home, but I dare say you were the only one who let him know it was always an option."

"Do you know why he returned?" Naruto asked in hopes of changing the subject.

"That's something you need to ask Sasuke."

"Yeah. I figured."

"Are you planning on asking him?"

"We have a spar-thing planned, and if I beat him, he promised to tell me why he returned. If he beats me, I have to tell him why I left. I'm fully expecting to dominate his sorry ass, though."

Naruto made note of the fact that Kakashi's interest perked up at this exchange.

"For the sake of this argument, let's assume that you win this spar. What happens?"

"Sasuke tells me why he returned, and life goes on." Naruto remarked matter-of-factly.

"And if you lose?"

"Uhm...psh, I guess I just move on and resolve that it doesn't matter _why_ he returned, it's that he _did_ return. That's good enough for me."

"...will you lie to him about your truth?"

"Probably."

"You don't think he'll see through that?"

"He probably will, but I guess it doesn't matter. I won't lie out of selfish gain. I'll lie for the good of everyone." Naruto heard a muffled laugh escape through Kakashi's mask.

"I guess if anyone could make lying an admirable thing, it would be you, Naruto."

"That's called skill, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto replied through a grin. After a few minutes of silence, Kakashi spoke up:

"But you know, Naruto, the worst part about being lied to is knowing you're not worth the truth."

Naruto felt discouragement slap him in the face.

That was a low-blow, and Naruto visibly stung from the remark. He knew his friends probably deserved to know the truth about his current stage in life, but does truth become a bad thing if it's blind to everything else? He wanted them to know the truth. He hated living with the scarlett letter of a missing nin. But with truth comes irrational behavior in the form of love. They would mess with the Kyuubi and theorize on ways to fix it, and had there been any available way to re-define the seal, Naruto would have done it already. But he and Sai never found a way, and truth wasn't always a black and white ethic. In his case, the difference between truth and a lie could mean the difference between life and death.

Being too tired to give this subject the amount of thought it required, Naruto decided to humor himself by asking for Kakashi's interpretation.

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked flatly.

"I don't know. I guess it just means that you have to decide if anyone in your life is worth the truth." Kakashi replied as he sent Naruto an understanding look.

Before he could reply, however, Naruto noted that he and Kakashi were standing in front of the Konoha hospital. The roller-coaster dynamics of he and Kakashi's conversation had distracted him from the theory of time.

"Well, I'm glad we had this talk, Naruto. See you around?" Kakashi asked hopefully. Naruto saw the obvious trace of desperation laced in that sentence. He was honestly glad, too. If death was truly on his door-step as everything around him indicated , then now was the time to make amends with the most important people in his life. It would be one hell of an uncomfortable experience, but he owed it to them.

Naruto smiled.

"Yeah. See you around, Kakashi-sensei."

(END CHAPTER)

Hey guys! Sorry I'm so late with updating this!

Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter, and as you can tell, this is going to be a Shounen Ai. I got an overwhelming amount of votes for Shounen Ai, but for those who requested friendship, I'm here to assure you that this will stay a Shounen Ai. And by that, I mean the farthest we will go is making out and slight groping, simply because I want this to be focused on a deeper aspect of Sasuke and Naruto's relationship.

Thank you guys so much for reviewing and I truly appreciate each and every one of you guys thoughts! I wrote a timelime for everything that happens in this fanfiction, and then organized it all into chapters, so my updates should be more frequent from now on.

Until next time! - DaisyTango


	13. Cruel Irony: Chapter 13 Unconquerable

Naruto's Dream:

_"Where is this place?" Naruto asks as he shuffles around in a shapeless, dark room. All he can hear as he wades through the unnerving black abyss is the sound of his labored breathing and his heart beat._

_He gets the distinct feeling that he is either numb, or walking across air. He can feel his pupils stretching across his cerulean irises in the attempt to staurate as much light as possible, but to no avail. The black just stretches in every fathomable direction. _

_He flinches at the sudden sound of a huge, iron chain sliding across the ground. He rounds on the phantom noise, only to be met with another side of all-consuming darkness._

_"Who are you?" He calls to no one in particular. The chain restles again, and his breathing hitches. Frozen, he doesn't want to think, feel or register anything that is happening. The chain slides again, but this time he is paralyzed into statuesque fear. _

_He hears a long, low laugh. _

_"Tell me who you are." He sends into the abysmal black. _

_"Five days."It replies in obvious amusement. _

_"Until what?" He asks in confusion. _

_"Five days..." _

_This time, the voice fades. _

_"Can you tell me?" He asks sleepily as he feels himself falling away._

_No reply._

Naruto jerked forward into a sitting position as he struggled for air. He could feel the sweat running down his face as the phantom chant of "Five days" buzzed in his mind.

He looked around the room and saw the cobalt-blue of the night sky out his window. The lilac wall-paper and softly ticking clock reminded him that he was in his hospital room. He noted the blue hydrangeas Ino had given him, and the picture of Team Seven perched against its crystalline vase. He sighed as he resolved within his mind that he wasn't in any danger.

_"It was just a dream, Naruto. Just a dream." _He encouraged as he tried to reassure himself back into a state of security. The remnants of his hellish dream rang in his mind as he tried to make sense of the whole scenario. The room in his dream was tantamount to the Kyuubi's dominion except for the endless perameters it seemed to stretch upon.

Normally, he wouldn't have given a nightmare this level of thought, but this dream had been so realistic. Sure, he had had bad dreams before; alot when he was younger, and even more in times of high stress on the village. But those dreams were always vague and usually impersonal. This dream, though, seemed so real and ill-omened.

_" 'Five days?' What does that even mean? And those chains...they sounded like the kind that hold Kyuubi in his -"_ But before he could finish his thought, fear and realization slammed against him.

_"That couldn't have been...he wouldn't..."_ Naruto thought numbly as his hands clenched around the blanket. His thoughts raced as he rationalized any reason to try and disprove his current theory. Would Kyuubi really try and use a dream to communicate with him? And more importantly, did "five days" mean he had five days left to live?

Naruto glanced down at his shaking hands and white knuckles. Five days was not long. He knew Kyuubi would kill him quickly, but surely not in five days. Kyuubi's only reason for telling him would be to berate him into being a nervous wreck. Naruto felt his anger rise as his fists clenched.

_"He can mess with me, abuse me, talk me down, and even kill me. That's fine. But I will __**not **__surrender to fear. I won't give up without a fight." _Naruto resolved to himself as his fear changed to angry determination. He could taste the metallicy of the blood pooling under his tongue from the canines that pierced his lips. He cringed. In the end, Kyuubi could rob him of everything: his friends, his village, his dignity, his happiness and even his life. But he would be _damned_ before he let the Kyuubi rob him of his ninja way.

Kyuubi wanted to degrade his body, mind and spirit to the point that the others would see him as a mere fraction of himself when died: a nervous, jittery, train wreck that appeared to have given up and left the world as an unrecognizable shell of what he used to be. If he was going to die in five days as his body and the Kyuubi implied, then he would show Kyuubi, himself and every one else that it wasn't because he gave up. It was because he cared about them too much to involve them in the treachery of a demon's vendetta.

Naruto glanced out the window and saw pillars of purple and orange light spiking gloriously from behind the Hokage monument. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5:30 a.m. and walked to the window for a better look. It was a new day, and he would treat it with the same enthusiasm he always had. He wouldn't dwell on the details of his death, simply because that's what the Kyuubi wanted him to do. No, he would go out and have a hell of a lot of fun in the last few days he would spend in Konoha. He didn't know how to approach death, but so what? Uzumaki Naruto always figured things out on his own, and this would be no different.

He opened the window and peered into the chilly morning air with a smile on his face.

"Carpe diem" Naruto said aloud as he sprung out the window and into the streets below.

(Scene Change)

Naruto strolled along the streets and observed everything with a greater sense of detail. He made his way over to his old apartment and decided to organize things from the last visit he made there.

As he opened the door, light flooded in as dust particles flashed through the beams of a still-rising sun. He observed the shattered glass and black blood on the carpet as well as the clothes and empty ramen cups that lay in perfect replication from his last two visits there. He laughed.

_"Real subtle, Naruto. I don't think you could have fucked this place up anymore if you tried_." He through through a laugh. He picked up a large shard of glass off the floor and frowned at his reflection.

_"I look a hot mess." _He said as he observed his blood-shot eyes and dark circles. He couldn't tell from the awkard lighting, but his skin almost looked as if it had taken on a sickly yellow color. He tossed on top of the other glass shards and firmly placed his hands on his hips.

"Let's do this." He said outloud as he began to sort the clothes into a large pile on the ground. He swept the glass into a pile and tossed ramen cups and containers into the trash. Throwing all the trash away and folding his clothes, he spotted some of his old things that he hadn't seen in years and smiled to himself.

He began to shake out the blanket on his bed when he heard the sound of something metal slam against the wall. He walked over to the unknown object and smiled as he leaned to pick it up.

"Sasuke's headband." He remarked to himself as he observed the sickening line that tore through the Konoha leaf symbol. He had carried this headband with him always with the intention of giving it to Sasuke the day he brought him back. Naruto ran his finger over the obstructed symbol of the leaf and smiled as he recounted the hundreds of times he slept with this headband.

This headband was the last thing of Sasuke's that was tangible, and in many ways, Naruto attatched deeper meaning to it than it probably should have held. Sasuke's headband represented a promise, protected a memory, reinforced a principle, and functioned as Naruto's own little peace-of-mind that Sasuke had ever been human. Naruto laughed at the irony of it all.

Sasuke was back now, and that was all he really needed to know. He didn't have to physically be here with Sasuke to be happy, and judging by the awkward thoughts he was having about his best friend lately, it was probably good that he was leaving before he had the time to damage their friendship. Naruto fumbled with the heap of metal and ribbon and recounted even more of his Team Seven memories.

_"I should give it back to him." _He mentally noted as he stuffed the headband into his back pocket. "He _deserves to have it back." _

As Naruto continued to try and tame the horror that was his apartment, he was suddenly aware of a chakra trail coming closer. He stood where he was and peered at the door. It wasn't a threatening chakra, but Naruto didn't know why someone would be coming to his apartment.

Naruto was torn from his thoughts as he heard faint foot-steps traveling down the hall. They stopped in front of his door, only to be replaced by the sound of his door creaking open.

Konohamaru visibly faltered when he saw Naruto standing in his old apartment. Naruto was surprised himself to say the least, simply because he had lied to Konohamaru and Konohamaru's younger-sister (that he never knew existed) on the night he had returned. Konohamaru was the first to figure out his identity, and knowing how much Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi admired him, his departure probably seemed the worst to them.

"What are you doing here?" Konohamaru asked sharply as he tore Naruto from his thoughts. Naruto observed the boys taller height and deeper voice. He wasn't a little kid anymore.

"Konohamaru." Naruto said somewhat sadly. He observed Konohamaru's expression change from surprise to anger. It had never been this uncomfortable between them before. Knowing he would soon run out of time and chances to make his amends, Naruto spoke up:

"I guess you want to know why I left."

"No."

Naruto continued anyway.

"Konohamaru, I don't know what to say other than to ask you to please understand that it's not what it seemed."

"Then what is it, Naruto?" Konohamaru suddenly shouted. "Because from a distance, staging your death and abandoning everyone you ever cared for looks a little heartless!" Konohamaru spat through labored breaths. It stung, but Naruto knew it would. Konohamaru was speaking through pain and had every right to be reacting the way he was.

"I can't tell you, Konohamaru. But I want you to know that I wasn't running away or abandoning anyone. I wouldn't have then, and I wouldn't now!"

"Then why...if it was for such a good reason, why didn't you just let us know? We thought you were dead! Do you know how _final_ that is? I can't even...dammit!" He spat through gritted teeth and clenched fists.

Naruto didn't often show physical affection, but he knew he didn't have time to rely on as an excuse anymore. Not really knowing what he was doing, he slowly stepped forward and pulled Konohamaru into an embrace. He stared sadly at the wall as Konohamaru silently cried into his shirt. It wasn't theatrical, dramatic, or a scene built on high emotion. It was sobering, and Naruto knew that for all of Konohamaru's ridiculous fits of crying in the past, these tears were the only ones that truly bothered him deeply.

Konohamaru had admired him before any one else had. Naruto may have taken advantage of him in the past, but he never stopped thanking Konohamaru for giving him a reason to be an example. He was bad at being a role model, but it felt good to know he was considered one, even if it was by just one idiotic kid who reminded him too much of himself.

As quickly as it had happened, Naruto stepped back and grasped Konohamaru's shoulders.

"So...you wanna' tell me why you came here?" Naruto asked through a bright grin. Konohamaru laughed as he wiped the tears away.

"When I thought you were dead, I would come here whenever I needed to get away and just think. I knew no one would ever come here, so it kind of became my refuge. Is that bad?"

"Haha, I don't care. I'm just glad it could be used for something. Why wasn't it ever sold?"

"I don't really know. From what I heard, Sasuke Uchiha paid the landlord a bunch of money to keep it just like it was."

Naruto visibly stiffened. Yeah, he was surprised, but he was getting used to the feeling.

"Why did he do that?" He asked carefully.

"Who knows. All I know is he's highly protective of it. I heard he once broke some guys arms for bumming here one time. Hokage-sama offered to have all of your things put into storage, but Sasuke-san said he would pay to keep it like this." Naruto caught the honorific and visibly cringed. "I don't think he's ever even been here." Konohamaru remarked as looked around the now-clean room.

"Well I guess I'll just have to have a little chat with Sasuke about it." Naruto tried to reply casually. Konohamaru knew that he and Sasuke had a history together, but he was too young at the time to follow all of the drama and emotion that their friendship had harbored.

"Fine, just don't tell him that I told you. He's scary as hell and twice as merciless."

"Who, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he scoffed in disbelief. "Psh. That bastard's all talk." he explained in complete haughtiness, although he knew it was a lie. Judging by the honorific and Konohamaru's obvious fear of Sasuke, Naruto figured he must've been a subordinate under Sasuke.

"That's what Sakura-san says, but anyone who can kill someone like Danzo in twenty minutes flat kind of deserves to be intimidating."

Naruto faltered in shock at that statement. Had Sasuke really killed Danzo in twenty minutes? He didn't know much about Danzo, but he knew he was highly esteemed and possible Hokage material. For Sasuke to have just ended the life of one of the villages highest-ranking elders was almost unbelievable.

"He killed Danzo?" Naruto asked as he tried to conceal his shock.

"Yeah. No one in Konoha saw it happen because he did it before he returned, but Hokage-sama later confirmed that he was dead. After a medical diagnosis, it was determined that he killed him in less than thirty minutes. Sasuke-san doesn't ever talk about it, but he won't deny it either."

"Damn." Naruto remarked more out of envy than surprise.

"Yeah. He may be a complete asshole at times, but no one can deny that he's a genius."

"Yeah." Naruto remarked flatly and with a sour expression. Konohamaru seemed to catch the hint as he held his hands in front of him.

"But no one is as awesome as you, Naruto. I haven't seen you fight in a while, but I'm sure he wouldn't stand a chance under your wrath."

"That's better." Naruto remarked as he playfully ruffled the younger shinobi's hair. Both boys were interrupted by the sound of Naruto's clock chiming.

"Dammit I gotta go! Ebisu-sensei's gonna kill me!" Konohamaru remarked in disarray as he fumbled to the door. He rounded on Naruto. "I'll see you around, right?" Konohamaru asked hopefully and with obvious desperation.

"Sure." Naruto smiled at Konohamaru, who returned the favor.

"Thanks, Naruto." Konohamaru replied softly. Naruto watched him as he shut the door quietely; his footsteps fading down the hall. Naruto smiled to himself. He had settled another one of his amends, and did it in good timing. Five day wasn't much, but it was enough to say what he needed to say to everyone in his life. He was torn from his thoughts as a wave of pain tore through his chest.

"Dammit." Naruto grunted as he clenched at the skin beneath his shirt. He didn't know what it was, but it felt as if his sternum was splintering in half and puncturing his entire chest cavity. He braced himself against the wall and slowly fell to his knees as the pain blinded his vision. He felt like he couldn't get enough air through his lungs.

He rested his head against the wall and focused his concentration on regaining his breath as the pain seemed to die down. Looking around the room and observing its entrails, Naruto attatched every object to a memory he had had. He was being very nostalgic lately, but he assumed that most people were when the possibility of death reigned supreme.

"And so it begins." Naruto thought as he shakily forced himself into a standing position. He had a strong feeling these waves of pain would become more frequent and more intense with every passing day.

As he stood in the doorway and concluded that everything he needed to do here had been resolved, he took one last glance at the only home he'd ever known. His frog wallet was placed neatly on the counter, and his animal sleeping cap was on his pillow.

Naruto had never especially valued material things, but now, when faced with the realization that he couldn't take anything with him, he appreciated them for what they were and the memories they held. The only tangible thing he would take with him from this room was Sasuke's headband, and even that wouldn't be around for long. The only thing he had were the memories, and somehow, that just didn't seem like enough.

"Later." Naruto remarked softly as he turned off the light and closed the door on that chapter of his life.

(SCENE CHANGE)

"I have a job for you, Nara." Tsunade remarked as Shikamaru strolled into her office.

"Yes, Hokage?" He asked indifferently. These were usually dull and anti-climactic missions that just needed someone of a high-caliber of thinking.

"It's about Naruto." Tsunade noted his peaked interest as he brought his eyes to hers as a signal to continue. "As you already know, Sai and Uzumaki Naruto have returned to Konoha after staging their deaths three years ago. What you might not know is that myself and the Council of Elders fully plan to ambush them into a forced domestic arrest."

"Why? Is Naruto not staying?" Shikamaru asked through poorly-concealed suprised. If he took the effort to come back, why would he leave?

"That leads me to my next point. Naruto has expressed his sentiments to me that both he and Sai intend to leave as quickly as they possibly can. After much debating, the Elders have concluded that Sai and Naruto must be working for an outside party, but I think it's something else."

"I don't understand, Hokage."

"Last week when I oversaw Naruto's treatment in Konoha hospital, I noted that his healing times were dramatically decreased from three years ago. We have always attributed his healing times to that of the Nine-Tailed demon fox that resides with in himself."

"I still don't understand."

"Naruto has recently been suffering from unknown and sporadic health concerns. His wounds are not healing, he looks sickly, his eyes are constantly blood-shot and he is suffering from random collapses and seizures. If we believe that the Kyuubi has always accelerated Naruto's ability to heal, then logically I have to assume that something is disrupting Naruto's seal."

"Are you saying he's...?"

"I think he's very sick, Shikamaru, and I need your expertise to help me figure out why."

"What do you need me to do?" He asked with surprising vigor.

"I need you to research and document every article on demon-sealing techniques and the Kyuubi itself. If our domestic arrest proves to be a success, I will put him on lock-down and have a professional take a look at his seal. As you can see, I don't know much about sealing techniques, which gives me a blind spot to Naruto's true problem."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. But if you don't mind me asking, why will Naruto not tell you?"

"That's what's frustrating me. He refuses to speak about it and wishes that we all understand that he's doing the right thing. My worst fear is that his seal is somehow not functioning at its intended level, so there is virtually nothing stopping the Kyuubi from ravaging his body. I think that brat might think that we will try and 'fix' him and release the Kyuubi in the process, so he is bearing this burden entirely on his own while lying about it every step of the way." Tsunade sighed in obvious frustration. All I ask is that you gain as much information on weakened seals and the Kyuubi as possible. If we can't fix this, I don't see Naruto-" She trailed off and shook her head as if the thought were to inhumane to entertain.

"That idiot." Shikamaru commented.

"I know. He wishes for me not to interfere, but I'm not going to let him do this to himself. I won't stand for it."

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets and focused on the floor. He knew that Naruto hadn't died, but he figured he would respect Naruto's wishes by not telling anyone, all the while assuming that Naruto had a good reason to leave and would be back. However, he had never considered the possibility that it could have been because of something Jinchuuriki-related, which usually meant it was something life-or-death-related.

Although Naruto had a dark beginning with he and the rest of their generation, Naruto had eventually forced everyone to like him. Over the years he had solidified himself as a stronghold in the darkest of times, even when his own demons raged against him. His "ninja way" was what he staked his life on, even when the "ninja way" looked impossible.

Naruto had proven himself a true hero in every way possible and never let the remorse of things like Sasuke's betrayal and the Kyuubi affect his ideals. As time flew by, Shikamaru found himself growing truly fond of the village's number one most unpredictable ninja, and he figured the village felt the same way considering the grief that the village experienced when he supposedly died three years ago. He was interrupted from his thoughts by Tsunade:

"The reason I've asked you to do this is because I know you can keep a neutral frame of mind in all of this, so please understand when I tell you that I cannot allow you to whisper a word of this to any body."

"Yes, Hokage."

"Bring me any new information you can find. Thank you, Shikamaru. You are dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama" Shikamaru replied as he turned and left her office with a renewed sense of determination. He would do whatever it took to bring Naruto's problem to light.

(SCENE CHANGE)

"Sexy." Naruto commented as his shuriken landed beautifully in the middle of the wooden bulls-eye. Sweat was slightly dampening his forehead as the sun shone over the Eastern Training Ground. It was now 7:00 in the morning, and Uzumaki Naruto was currently practicing his old training routines. Naturally he had gracefully succeded at every one of them, but he constantly thought of new ways to make them more challenging.

Naruto stuck his tongue out as he fluidly sent another shuriken through the air, only to knock the other one off the target and take its place.

"Don't you think that's a bit elementary?" Came a smooth voice from behind. Naruto cast the Uchiha a smirk.

"Only if I treat it like it is." Naruto replied as he twirled a kunai around his pointer figner. "What brings you here, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he sent the kunai flying in Sasuke's direction. Naturally, Sasuke caught it between his pointer and index finger without taking his eyes off of Naruto. Naruto noted that Sasuke was wearing his casual clothes today, indicating that he didn't have a mission. On days when missions were low, higher-ranking ninja were given the day off in order to let the younger ninja try their luck at trivial missions. Considering that Sasuke was almost a qualified ANBU Black-ops, today must have been a slow-activity day.

"Nothing. Just heard someone out here and figured I'd see who it was." Sasuke replied casually as he sent the kunai flying back towards Naruto who caught it on his pinky finger. He sent Sasuke a smirk as the kunai twirled around his finger and landed in the palm of his hand. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the cocky blonde.

"One-up _that_, bastard." Naruto replied with a mischievous grin. Sasuke watched in amusement as the kunai in Naruto's hand disappeared with a puff of smoke. Dumb-founded, Naruto ducked and mentally cringed as he watched a few strands of hair fall to the ground as the real kunai grazed his cheek and landed inthe post behind him. Naruto's face instantly turned sour at the confident smirk on Sasuke's face.

"Need I say more?" Sasuke asked smugly.

"Psh. Anyone can teach themselves tricks like that. Personally, I tend to measure myself by more _skilled_ methods of fighting."

"And by 'skilled' you mean?"

"Mmm...I don't know, maybe something like Taijutsu. You know, your _weakest_ area of expertise." Naruto watched in self-satisfaction as the Uchiha visibly bristled.

"Is that a challenge?" Sasuke asked as he advanced on Naruto.

"Do you even have to ask that?" Naruto replied as he stepped towards the Uchiha.

"Hn." Came the reply, but before Naruto could respond, he had to duck from the whirring kick that Sasuke sent straight to his head. For a moment, he hesitated on the ground before quickly flipping backwards as Sasuke's right leg nearly side-lined him in the face. Now on his feet, Naruto watched carefully for Sasuke's next movements.

He noticed an opening in Sasuke's stance, and immediately aimed a punch for him, only to have it blocked by the side of Sasuke right arm. Holding Naruto in a corner, Sasuke used his left arm to aim a punch until Naruto pushed off of Sasuke by flipping backwards. Naruto faltered as Sasuke appeared from behind with ridiculous speed and punched him in the back of the head. This continued for the next thirty minutes until both boys stood in complete parallel to each other; bruised, out of breath and frustrated at their innability to dominate the other.

"After three years I thought you'd would be more of a challenge." Naruto called through labored breaths. When in doubt, insult the enemy.

"Wait unti tomorrow, dobe. Keep in mind that this is just Taijutsu. When it comes to everything else, you can't even touch me."

Feeling devious, Naruto ventured where he probably shouldn't have gone: the past.

"That's not what you said at the Valley of the End. I believe you told me I wouldn't even be able to put a scratch on your fore-head. If I remember correctly, you even called us "equals." Naruto replied confidently.

He saw the conflicted expression flash across Sasuke's face, and he immediately felt bad for saying it. At the mention of Sasuke's forehead protector, Naruto suddenly remembered the headband in his pocket and decided to give it to Sasuke. He wanted to change the subject anyway.

"Oh! By the way, that reminds me..." Naruto replied as he began digging through his back pocket. Sasuke watched in confusion at Naruto's gesture. Naruto stepped foreward and smiled at Sasuke genuinely, who reacted in a way that Naruto couldn't identify.

"I figured you should have this back." Naruto replied as he tossed Sasuke his old headband. Sasuke looked at it in an unrecognizable expression as if he couldn't tell what it was. Naruto frowned at Sasuke's next question.

"Why?" Sasuke suddenly asked, meeting Naruto's eyes with guarded confusion.

"Why?" Naruto asked in obvious surprise. "Uh...because it's yours?" Naruto offered weakly. He didn't understand where this was going or why it was an issue.

"No, why did you keep it?"

"Oh." Naruto replied quietely. He didn't think he'd have to _explain_ to Sasuke why he kept it, but as usual, the Uchiha demanded that he spell-out every feeling he had for him. Was it too much to ask that he just accept it for what it was?

Naruto stretched his arm around to the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Well, at the time, I saved it in order to give it back to you when you returned, but it kind of took on a deeper meaning."

"Which was?" Sasuke urged. Naruto scoffed.

"Ah geez, Sasuke, I don't know. It was the last part of you that I had, and it kind of served as a reminder that you were once...you know." Naruto sighed. "Look, at the Valley of the End, you put it on when you declared that you and I were equals, and you were the first person to view me that way, so I kept it as a reminder of you and me, and that's that..."Naruto trailed off awkwardly. He didn't dare look at Sasuke's face.

Naruto never knew how Sasuke would react to this level of honesty, so he wished the bastard would not question his affection for him, and just go with the flow. A small eternity seemed to pass as Naruto waited for some kind of _something._

"I still do." Came the reply. Naruto cast Sasuke a wary look.

"Still what?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"I still consider you my equal." Sasuke said as he smirked at Naruto.

Naruto smiled as he felt the fire rising inside of him. It was at this time that he almost considered his inevitable death a blessing in disguise. If none of the past two weeks had never happened, they would have never reached this point. Naruto would have died as a nameless rogue who would spend his last days in remorseful longing. But his death was giving him the courage to confront demons that he had buried, and opportunities that he wouldn't have had otherwise. If he were in Suna with Sai right now as he had planned on being, he would have died that week thinking that Sasuke had hated him and never look back. But this was the silver lining. None of this would have been possible if he and Sai had done the _safe_ thing.

"Damn right." Naruto remarked as he sent Sasuke a genuine smirk. Feeling energized and uncontainable, he flew at Sasuke and attempted to resume their fighting by sending a kick to his head. Just as he had done this, however, Sasuke caught his foot mid-air and spun him around wildly through the air. As he hit the ground, however, Sasuke noted that Naruto dissapeared in a puff of smoke as he felt the real Naruto tackle him from behind.

Slamming on to the ground, Naruto visibly smirked as he pinned the Uchiha on the ground.

"Too slow, Sasuke." Naruto commented haughtily. But before he could reply, Naruto felt himself slam on to the ground as the Sasuke beneath him vanished in a puff of smoke as well. He landed roughly on his back as he stared up at the smug face of Sasuke.

"Too cocky, Naruto." He replied with the most self-satisfied smirk that Naruto had ever seen.

Naruto studied Sasuke's face in what would probably be considered "awe" by most people. Naruto watched as the sweat fell down Sasuke's chest as his soft, black hair fell forward around his face. He had never noticed before, but Sasuke actually had very thick, soft eyelashes that dusted his cheeks. His eyes were so black and so endless that Naruto felt as if he could never break free. He felt his eyes graze lower down onto Sasuke's stomach as he observed the defined muscles and lean frame. In all honesty, Sasuke was gorgeous.

Naruto froze. He was doing it again. He was observing Sasuke from a sexual standpoint, and there was no disorientation this time. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable both with his thoughts, and the position in which Sasuke was straddling him. The feeling was too new to be considered absolute, and Naruto severely hoped this was just a bi-product of his separation from Sasuke. When he was younger, he didn't have the time or the interest to observe Sasuke at this magnitude because he was too busy fighting or arguing with him. When he got older, Sasuke wasn't even around to test this theory on. But now, as he laid there and had a real chance to observe Sasuke with no strings attatched or no baggage to be distracted by, Naruto found that what he was feeling could only be described as undeniable attraction.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked quitely and breathily as he continued to pin the blonde's arms into the grass. Naruto noted that Sasuke definitely couldn't have been feeling the same way, because he refused to tear his eyes away from the blonde, and Naruto found himself wanting to look at anything but Sasuke's eyes. The full weight of Sasuke on his stomach and...lower regions...was making him highly uncomfortable as it was.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked almost drunkenly.

"Why are you red?" Sasuke asked. Naruto jerked from his thoughts as Sasuke peered down at him. Feeling as if he were losing control, Naruto suddenly jerked forward as Sasuke stood up over him and crossed his arms.

"What's wrong with you, dobe? Are you feeling sick again?" He asked in what Naruto could only describe as concern.

Relief washed over Naruto at the possibility that Sasuke would attribute his strange behavior to over-exhaustion. He didn't know how well he was hiding his new infatuation, but he was glad he only had a few more days to have to control it. It was too new and too dangerous to be introduced now.

"I'm fine." Naruto replied quickly as he laughed nervously. "I'm just a little tired." Naruto offered, but back-trached when he saw Sasuke's disbelieving expression. "No really, I am tired. Very tired. And a little disoriented. Hopefully..." He said the last part to himself as he trailed off. He was suddenly jerked from his thoughts, however, when he felt Sasuke's cool hand on his forehead.

To say he reacted strongly would be an understatement. Sasuke's hand had barely touched his forehead when Naruto smacked Sasuke's hand away and dodged with amazing speed.

"What's wrong with you, Naruto?" Sasuke asked in even further confusion.

_"Wow. Way to absolutely freak out." _Naruto thought to himself.

"You're ridiculous." Sasuke replied warily as he watched Naruto from the corner of his eye.

"Shut up, teme!" Naruto shouted as he gathered the kunai and shuriken that littered the ground. As he reached down to pick up the last one, however, he was suddenly stricken with the same pain that had come over him in his house. Supporting himself against a tree, he tried to subdue the pain as best he could. He didn't need Sasuke seeing him like this.

Naruto winced as he began coughing. The pain in his chest amplified as he struggled to keep himself in a standing position.

"Shit. Not again." He spat through his violent coughing.

"Again?" Sasuke asked in disbelief as he suddenly appeared in front of Naruto. Naruto fell forward but was caught by Sasuke in the process. Still coughing, Naruto felt Sasuke wrap his arm around his shoulder and support him into a standing position.

"Naruto, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke asked in obvious frustration. By this time, the pain from his chest had stopped throbbing, but he found he couldn't speak due to the sticky liquid that was coating his mouth. Confused, Naruto looked at his hand and froze.

Blood. He was coughing up blood.

"Idiot!" Sasuke remarked as his voice rose to a higher volume. Naruto swallowed the blood as best he could in order to try and de-exaggerate the severity of the situation.

"I'm fine. Tsunade told me this would happen if I was careless." He lied. Before Sasuke could respond, however, they were both interrupted from their thoughts by a new voice ahead of them.

"Naruto?" Sai asked in skepticism. Naruto, now standing on his own, looked between he, Sai and Sasuke and noted the narrowed and unimpressed eyes of both Sai and Sasuke as they studied each other. It was now that Naruto prayed that this wouldn't go as badly as he thought it would.

(END CHAPTER)

YAY! Next chapter! Hope you guys like it! Leave a review if you feel compelled, and I'll dance ta your wedding! :D

Bye for now!


	14. Cruel Irony: Chapter 14 Childish

**Previously**

_"Naruto?" Sai asked in skepticism. Naruto, now standing on his own, looked between he, Sai and Sasuke and noted the narrowed and unimpressed eyes of both Sai and Sasuke as they studied each other. It was now that Naruto prayed that this wouldn't go as badly as he thought it would."  
_

**Present:**

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sai remarked flatly as he observed Sasuke in obvious distaste. Sasuke merely returned the gesture as he sent his replacement the same look of threat. Naruto felt as if he could cut the tension with a knife.

In a different scenario, it almost would have been interesting to compare the two. But now, as the atmosphere dropped to a sub-arctic level, Naruto knew that this conversation had the potential to be very bad.

"I need to speak with you, Naruto." Sai remarked with his eyes still locked on Sasuke.

"Uh...sure." Naruto remarked awkwardly as he stepped forward, only to have Sasuke step in synch from behind. Naruto winced as he waited for Sai's reaction.

Sai wasn't the best at analyzing his own behavior, and Sasuke, who was observant to the point of being down-right critical, would look for any reason to assert his power in this situation. It didn't scare Naruto, but he didn't know how well Sai would hold up.

"If you don't mind, Sasuke, I need to speak with Naruto alone."

Naruto felt the dark energy radiating off of Sasuke. Not many people had the confidence to try and dictate an order to Sasuke, and the ones that tried were quickly shown otherwise.

"Sai's not going to do anything Sasuke." Naruto remarked.

"I don't give a damn." Sasuke spat as he visually crucified the younger boy. Sai bristled.

"I think all of Konoha is more aware of that than you are, Sasuke-_san."_

Naruto inwardly cringed as Sasuke immeditely grabbed his katana with impossible speed and held it dangerously close to Sai's neck.

"Don't act like you know me." Sasuke remarked darkly; his hand wrapped in the collar of Sai's shirt as he held the katana against Sai's throat.

"That's enough." Naruto growled seriously as he forced himself between both boys. "Do you _really_ want to do this right now?" He asked out-loud: urging them to hypothetically weigh their options.

Naruto watched as both boys were pulled from their stare-down as they hesitantly stepped away from each other. Naruto felt a hint of relief as he heard the click of Sasuke's katana fall back into it's sheath.

Despite Sasuke's ability to appear utterly terrifying when he wanted to be, Naruto had to give Sai credit: his resolve never once wavered in front of the Uchiha. He knew that Sasuke wouldn't have _killed_ Sai, per say, but only knowing what he _wouldn't_ do as opposed to what he _would_ do could be a very unhelpful perameter. Naruto was brought out of his reverie as Kakashi appeared in front of them.

"How are we all doing today?" He chirped in obviously pretend enthusiasm. Naruto deadpanned at him as Sai and Sasuke looked away grumpily.

"Well, I'm doing pretty damn well. Can't say the same about these two little _girls_." Naruto emphasized the last word strongly. Kakashi sent him an understanding look.

"Ah, well, that's certainly good to know. As much as I'd hate to interrupt this wonderful display of maturity, I'm afraid Sasuke is late for his mandatory training."

Naruto tried not to laugh at the sarcasm.

"Fine." Sasuke replied as he began to walk away. Naruto sent Kakashi a thankful look as he heard him mutter a quick "Your welcome" before he turned to follow after Sasuke.

Forever a peacemaker, Naruto knew that Kakashi had been watching them and had chosen this particular time to pull Sasuke away. Sasuke rarely lost control of his emotions, but for the times when he did, Kakashi always functioned as every situations' own personal damage-control.

Naruto winced as he remembered he and Sasuke's first real fight on top of the hospital roof. That was the first time that Kakashi ever had to stop them from truly hurting one another, and it was also the first indication that Sasuke was truly losing his humanity.

"Bye, teme!" Naruto called after Sasuke's retreating figure. He scrunched his face in distaste as Sasuke merely cast him a half-hearted wave of acknowledgement. He waited until his teacher and rival were out of view before he rounded on Sai.

"Real subtle." He remarked as he tore a kunai out of the tree and flew past the still-sulking boy.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but I had to make sure there was no way he would want to stick around."

"And what could be so serious that you would need to royally piss him off that badly?"

"I've worked out a plan for leaving."

"Oh." Naruto replied as surprise fell on him. He felt his mood drop a few points at the implication of leaving, but shrugged the feeling off. He saw Sai visually scan the area to confirm that no one was around before he spoke up quietely:

"From what I've gathered, the domestic arrest they plan to enact upon us will happen on Saturday, and it will consist of a small group of people who will surround us from every angle. I've heard that Hokage-Sama has already stationed many ANBU Black-ops around and within a five-mile radius outside of Konoha. I assume those who will approach us directly will be of Chuunin, Jounin and ANBU rank."

"Overkill." Naruto remarked in annoyance.

"Perhaps, but can you really blame them? We are missing-nin, and thus are being treated like missing-nin. My only frustration lies in the fact that I don't know when or where this will happen."

"Can't we organize a time and place to meet and just utilize your teleportation jutsu to get out of the village?" Naruto asked as he picked up the remnants of his and Sasuke's fight earlier.

"We will be heavily watched, and word will spread quickly. They are fully prepared for us to leave before this happens, so we need to do it at a time when they least expect us to." Sai replied in deep thought.

"Well, they would least expect us to leave if we were right in front of them. I guess when they perform this arrest, we could wait until we're surrounded and then teleport right in front of them." Naruto offered. He figured Sai would shut it down immediately, but was surprised when Sai seemed to be giving it a fair bit of thought.

"That's...actually possible." Sai replied as he entertained the intricacies of the plan. "If we pretend as if we are completely unaware and wait for them to surround us, we can utilize the element of suprise by escaping when they least expect it. Naturally they'll be flustered, and if we gather as many to the area as possible, there will be less to deal with when we actually escape."

"We'll just give them a false sense of security, and run like hell when we get out. They'll never know what hit them."

"A lot could go wrong, but it's our best bet. The only issue lies in what we do once we are outside of the village."

"Well, when we first came here, we came together. Maybe once we teleport outside, we could leave in opposite directions. At the very least it would confuse the ANBU."

"That will work. Seeing as they still assume that we don't know anything about this, it is to our advantage that we can pick the place that it do you want to meet?"

"Let's meet in the East Training Ground. It leads to the front side of the Konoha woods outside the village. We can teleport directly into it, go our separate ways, and you won't have to waste a whole lot of chakra from the teleport."

Naruto noted that Sai seemed to come to a place of sufficiently-justified resolve. A few minutes passed before Sai spoke up again:

"Are you ready?" he asked carefully. It was a loaded question, to say the least.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Naruto remarked flatly, trying to hide the distaste that was laced throughout. The last few days had been a dream, and Naruto knew going into this that the higher he climbed, the harder he would fall: and he climbed way higher than he had any right to.

This was becoming real now, and he hated it. Kyuubi was right. He would probably be one-hundred times more miserable when he left Konoha, but if there was any silver lining, it was found in the fact that he would only have to deal with it for a day or two before the Kyuubi planned to end his life.

"Is that blood?" Sai asked, tearing Naruto out of his thoughts. Sai motioned towards his hand.

"Oh this?" Naruto asked through fake naiivety. "Yeah."

"Where did it come from?"

"I kind of coughed it up..." Naruto replied.

"You coughed it up? Just randomly?" Sai asked in obvious disbelief.

"Not...so much."

"What does that mean?"

Naruto sobered as he resolved that he needed to convey to Sai everything that had happened with the Kyuubi.

"I...I need to talk to you about something." Naruto remarked quietely.

Sai was the only one who had any idea about his condition, but he had no idea that the Kyuubi had formally given him an expiration date. Naruto would have passed it off as a threat, but the coughing, seizing, collapsing, fatigue, weakness and cardiac arrest were tell-tale signs that the Kyuubi was probably serious.

He and Sai had talked about death before when it became clear that there wasn't any real hope of re-defining the Kyuubi's seal. In these talks, Sai usually tried to change the subject or speak about it in the most clinical way he could. Sai may have always been labeled as emotionally inept by those who didn't know him, but it took two years of being with Sai to recognize that he really did try. Even so, Sai tried to eliminate as much negativity as possible, especially when it became personal to him.

"I communicated with the Kyuubi last night. It's..." Naruto struggled to find words to explain it. "It's not looking too good for me, Sai."

Sai's eyes narrowed.

"I don't understand, Naruto-kun."

Naruto decided to elaborate as best he could, knowing how unavoidable this situation was.

"Kyuubi...he offered me the chance of being healed if I promised to use his power again. I told him no, and he told me that if he couldn't live, neither would I." Naruto observed Sai's face as he tried to conceal the obvious expression of confusion and frustration. "And last night, I had a really bizarre dream in which he kept chanting 'five days.' I don't know if it means that I'm going to die in five days, but my symptoms seem to supprt the idea..."

"Symptoms?" Sai asked in a voice that Naruto couldn't identify.

"Well, you already know that I keep having the lapses in control, and I keep passing out. I even had a seizure last night, which is something I've never done before. Twice today my chest has felt like it's being slammed with a chidori, and it seems like I'm losing chakra with every hour that passes. Not to mention I look a hot mess..." Naruto trailed off uncomfortably. "I don't know for sure that the Kyuubi will kill me in five days, but I do know that I am tired. All the damn time." Naruto remarked in obvious frustration as his voice sunk to a whisper. He _hated _feeling weak and limited.

A small eternity seemed to pass as Naruto waited for Sai to say _something_, _anything_ to distract him from allowing his thoughts to descend into a dark place.

"Naruto-kun, I..."

"You don't have to say anything, Sai."

"No." He snapped in obvious confliction. "I...I don't know if that...that _demon_ plans to follow through with this, but if he does, I just want you to know that I won't leave you. At all." He asserted. Naruto watched him sadly as his eyes fell in shadow behind his hair.

He and Sai's friendship was unexpected, and after spending two years together in constant company, he wasn't surprised that Sai would feel this way. He would feel the same way about Sai if there roles were reversed, but his greatest fear when he left was that Sai would become too personally involved to be able to detach himself from Naruto when the time came.

Sai deserved the same happiness that he had had, and there wasn't any real reason that he couldn't have it. If Danzo had really been killed by Sasuke, realistically Sai could live here and prosper.

"I know you won't, Sai." Naruto replied with a genuine smile. Sai cast a frustrated expression to the left as if he were in deep thought. Naruto spoke up again in the hope of changing the subject:

"By the way, you do remember that there's a party for us tonight, right?"

"Yes. Are you going?"

"I suppose we have to. We did promise."

"We? There is no we. _You_ promised."

Naruto laughed.

"So maybe I did, but it'll be fun. And besides, it will be good for you. Ino's looking pretty good these days, ne?" Naruto asked through a mischiveous grin as he playfully elbowed Sai in the stomach.

"You're a real idiot, you know that, right?" Sai asked as he sent Naruto an unimpressed look. Naruto noted the light shade of pink that dusted his cheeks and inwardly smirked.

"Let's just go and have fun and celebrate our last three days here. From what I'm told, all of our friends will be there. It will be nice to see them again."

"I can only imagine the lying we'll have to do..."

"Sakura and I are meeting at 5:00. You coming with us?" Naruto asked as he ignored Sai's negativity.

"I guess I'll have to." Sai replied through a sigh. "Really Naruto, sometimes you're so..."

"Sexy?"

"...I was gonna say dickless, but whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Leave my dick alone."

Naruto watched as Sai rolled his eyes and turned away.

"I have to go now. Later." Sai remarked as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto watched him go. This was how Sai acted when he felt helpless.

Although tonight would be fun, he would have to lie again. Maybe they would get lucky and find out that Sakura told no one to ask, since she apparently knew that Naruto was sick.

Naruto frowned. Sakura knew that something was wrong, and according to Tsunade, she had lied about it in order to hide it from Sasuke. It didn't really make sense that she would be playing into his side.

_"If she tried so hard to hide it from Sasuke, then maybe she really won't say anything." _Naruto mused to himself.

Sakura had always been explicitly loyal. It was her personality, and something that never seemed to change. It would be awkward knowing that Sakura knew he was sick, but at the same time, Naruto mentally thanked Sakura for her eternal devotion. He needed it now more than ever, especially if he had to lie to every one he ever cared about.

"Thank you, Sakura." Naruto whispered as he took-off to the Konoha market place.

(SCENE CHANGE)

Sai scaled the roof-top he was currently on with amazing grace and poise. Unlike Naruto, Sai had to force himself into hiding for the duration of his time in Konoha. On the off-chance that he would be seen by Danzo or any of his followers, he didn't want to risk capture; especially if Naruto was approaching death. Sai frowned at the sound of that.

He fluidly prepared to glide onto another roof until the sound of someone calling his name stopped him in his tracks.

"Sai." Came the resounding voice of Shikamaru Nara as he appeared from behind the shadows. Sai watched in guarded curiocity as he ground his cigarette into the pillar behind him and blew the remnants of its smoke through his mouth.

"Yes, Shikamaru-san?" Sai ventured carefully. The forever-lazy yet highly-intelligent shinobi seemed uncharacteristically motivated.

"I need your help." He replied matter-of-factly. "It's something I can't really do alone."

". . ."

Shikamaru determined that the lack-of-reply was his signal to further explain.

"It's about Naruto." He replied as Sai studied him warily. "I think we can help him."

(SCENE CHANGE)

"Guess who?" Naruto asked as he came up behind his pink-haired teammate and covered her eyes with his palms.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked as she pulled his hands off and turned around to face him; a bright smile on her face. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am." He replied in the hope that this conversation wouldn't lead to his seizure.

"Great! Eat with me?" She asked as she patted the chair next to her.

"Sure. Why not?" He asked as he plopped down beside her.

"Where's Sai?" She asked as she reached for her chop-sticks. "I haven't seem him around lately. Where does he go?"

"Who knows. He and Sasuke got into it this morning, so it's probably a good thing that he gets away for a while." Naruto replied as worry flashed across Sakura's face.

"I'm sorry. I told Sasuke to try and be civil."

"Ah, it's ok. Sasuke initiated, and Sai took it. I thought it was going to get really ugly. Do you know why Sasuke hates him so much?"Naruto asked. Sakura sighed, indicating to Naruto that this wasn't the first time she had dealt with this.

"In all honesty, I really don't know. Even before you guys came back, Sasuke would leave or change the subject whenever somebody mentioned anything about Sai. I've speculated that _maybe_ it's because he felt threatened by Sai due to the whole replacement thing."

"But Sasuke was never that hot on being part of Team Seven."

"That's the thing. I think he might've thought that Sai was _just_ a replacement, but when he came back and found that you had disappeared with Sai, I think he realized that to us, Sai had become our friend."

Naruto scoffed in disbelief. "He didn't want us to pine after him, though. Wouldn't he have wanted us to consider Sai a good replacement if it meant we would forget about him?"

"That was how it was three years ago, but the Sasuke now is different. In many ways, I think he looks at Sai as what he should have been - what he probably _would_ have been had he chosen to stay."

That caused Naruto to think. It made sense, and Sasuke _had_ changed, but how much? Was it enough to actually constitute enough regret over something to feel threatened? Three years ago, Sasuke wouldn't have cared. He would have been just as happy if he and Sakura had put Sai on a golden pedestal and worshiped him twenty-four hours a day. Maybe Sasuke had changed far more than Naruto was giving him credit for.

"It's like you said, Naruto. Sasuke never valued 'Team Seven', but he did value us. I think he thought that Sai would never be anything more than just a member of Team Seven, but when he came back and found out that Sai was actually well-liked, he felt threatened."

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Naruto replied deep in thought. Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, he decided to lighten the mood: "Say Sakura-chan, do you still...you know, have feelings for Sasuke?" Naruto asked carefully. He noted the somewhat surprised look fall over her features before she somewhat laughed to herself.

"Not really. There are times when I find myself admiring his _looks_, but as far as romance goes, I'm happier than I've ever been just being his friend."

Naruto felt somewhat sick as the prospect of Sasuke's looks came back into the spotlight. He himself had come to the conclusion that he found Sasuke attractive, but he kept attributing its origins to disorientation and fatigue. But now, even in the middle of complete clarity and thought, he grimaced at the fact that the idea of Sasuke was still intoxicating, and not even in a superficial way. Yes, Sasuke was ridiculously sexy. Everything from his body to his hair to his eyes radiated attraction. But even on a deeper level, Sasuke's mannerisms and behaviors were seductive. The way he breathed, his facial expressions, his voice, his intelligence, his personality, his sheer power; they all attributed to his ungodly ability to be intoxicating.

Sasuke had never in his life expressed romantic affection for anyone, and those who tried to do the same for him were quickly shut down. But Naruto found that the more he observed Sasuke from the romantic standpoint, the more he found himself being drawn in. Sasuke habitually challenged Naruto, and Naruto had never been able to resist rising to any challenge that the Uchiha set before him. If Sasuke Uchiha said he was asexual, Naruto irrationally felt as if it was a game: as if Sasuke was challenging someone to break down his barriers, and Naruto was more than ready to play.

He felt himself blush at the mere thought of it. If there was one thing he wouldn't miss about leaving Konoha, it would be the strange territory in which he was treading regarding his feelings for Sasuke. He had finally managed to solidify a healthy place for them, and he'd be damned if he let his feelings destroy it all. He was brought from his thoughts when Sakura decided to speak up again:

"He always said that after he killed Itachi, his next goal would be to revive his clan, but he hasn't shown any interest in any one."

"Wait, Sasuke killed Itachi?" Naruto asked in slight surprise. He had suspected that Sasuke had followed through with that obsession, but it was still hard to believe that the cause of Sasuke's fall-from-grace had finally been eliminated.

"Yes, but it's not my business to say any more than that." Sakura replied with unexpected formality. She fiddled awkwardly with her dress and refused to meet his gaze, indicating to Naruto that she had resolved in her mind to be absolute in her desire for him to inquire about Sasuke's reasons for returning. Did she think his explanation would somehow affect his decision to leave?

"I figured. We're gonna' spar about it, and obviously when I win I'll find out why he came back."

"Will you still plan to leave?" She asked darkly.

"Yes." He replied quitely. If she knew, there was no reason to tip-toe or sugar-coat anything.

She visibly faltered.

Naruto observed in silent regret as Sakura struggled to dictate her feelings without crossing the line between composed concern and panicked desperation. She was now one of two people who knew that he was sick. He wanted to tell her the truth. Hell, he wanted to tell _everyone_ the truth, but he couldn't endure the thought of people trying to fix what was un-fixable.

"So how long has Sasuke been training under Kakashi?" Naruto asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Since he came back. It was part of his mandatory probation. Kakashi volunteered himself when no one wanted to."

"What do you mean?" He asked in half-curiocity.

"When Sasuke first came back, he was on the receiving end of a lot of controversy. No one wanted to step-up and train him. Tsunade-sensei said it was out of hate for what he did, but I imagine it was probably out of fear as well. The fact that he had killed Orochimaru, Danzo and Itachi spread like wildfire, and people became very afraid."

"Well that's stupid." Naruto remarked in what sounded almost defensive to Sakura. She cast him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean? Surely it doesn't surprise you that they treated him like that?'

"No, I mean it's stupid for them to be scared of him. He may have lost his sanity for a while, but Sasuke never killed for the sake of just killing. There was always some kind of motivation there, whether it was ridiculous or not."

"That may be easy for us to rationalize Naruto, but for those who never knew Sasuke, he probably did appear to be ruthless. We were barely able to force our own friends to believe that he was worth saving. Even I started to think..." She trailed off. Naruto wasn't oblivious. He could fill in the gap. Right before he left, when things were at there absolute worst, he saw Sakura's hope in Sasuke fade upon every encounter they had with each other: indicating to Naruto that saving Sasuke would soon become a one-man show. He himself never once gave up on Sasuke: he just put all of his hope and energy into the possibility that Sasuke would save himself.

"How do people treat him now?" He asked awkardly. Sakura smiled inwardly as the age-old concern for Sasuke resurfaced. Naruto was too prideful to ever blatantly portray his worry, but if one looked close enough, it could be seen. She smiled.

"He's doing well. It took a while, and of course there are still some people who harbor mistrust, but he's really done well, Naruto. He has proven himself worthy to the Konoha authorities, and has even moved back into Uchiha Manor. I would say he's done exponentially greater than anything I could have fathomed two years ago. But even so, he never let himself fully adjust to this kind of life..."

"Why?" Naruto ventured. Sakura rounded on him.

"Because of you." She replied matter-of-factly; almost as if she wanted him to soak in the severity of everything that statement held.

"Me? What did I do?"

"You left, and he knew it. He never allowed anything to settle down because he knew the second his probation ended, he would leave again to find you." She replied. Naruto scrunched his face in attempt to hide his discomfort.

"He will come for you, Naruto. Be ready for it." She replied quitely.

"I figured." He remarked through a short laugh. Sakura peered at him incredulously, almost as if she were concerned that he wasn't understanding what she was implying. Wanting to end this conversation, Narutoo stood and stretched.

"Say Sakura, what do you think about playing a little game?"

"A game?" She asked in perked interest.

"Well, more like a prank..."

She raised her eyebrow.

"On who?"

"Sounds to me like Sasuke has established quite the respect from everyone now. What do you say we knock him off his high horse?"

"..."

(SCENE CHANGE)

_**Fifteen Minutes Later**_

"Naruto, this is crazy!" Sakura whispered as she scanned the area nervously."What if we get caught?"

"We won't. And if we do, I'll take the heat for it." Naruto replied as he and Sakura crouched low on a tree-branch. This particular tree-branch happened to be overseeing Sasuke and Kakashi's training from about sixty feet away. Naruto smiled to himself in pure amusement.

Naruto had dragged Sakura to the Western training ground that was currently hosting an intense sparring match between Sasuke and Kakashi. She had protested the entire way, but Naruto knew that she had wanted to participate for the fact that she followed him the whole way.

"This is a bad idea! Kakashi's there too!" She whispered loudly.

"We'll be fine, Sakura-chan. You _know_ you've always wanted to do this." He replied through a smile as he carefully wrapped a paper bomb around a kunai knife.

"We're so going to get in trouble for this..." She moaned as she supported herself against the tree with an out-stretched hand.

As much as she didn't want to be participating in Naruto's pranks, Sasuke's stigma had kept her at a reasonable distance for years. Sasuke never demanded respect or homage, but he was given them anyway just by birthright. She mused to herself that secretly, maybe she would have liked to see Sasuke pranked...

"There." Naruto remarked as he observed the now-explosive kunai in his hand.

"So what do we do now?" She ventured hesitantly. Sasuke was now performing push-ups as Kakashi loomed over him.

"Ok, this is what we're gonna do. On the count of three, I need you to scream as loud as you can."

"I...I can't." She replied nervously.

"No you have to, Sakura chan! If they think that someone just got attacked, it's gonna knock them off guard and when it does, I'm gonna launch this paper bomb right in the middle of their training session."

"But what if they see us?"

"They won't. And besides, I'm not going to hit them, just scare the shit out of them. It'll be fun, ok?"

"Ok." Sakura replied warily.

"Are you ready?" He asked. He smirked as she sent him a curt nod. "This is gonna be so great." He replied as he aimed the kunai in their general direction.

"One..." He murmured quietely. "Two..." Sakura cast him an insecure look. It was now that Naruto smirked to himself at the scene that would soon play before his eyes. "Three!" He shouted and as he did, a blood-curdling scream tore through the air as Naruto launched the paper bomb. For a split second, he saw the alarmed faces of Kakashi and Sasuke glance their way before the whole field was suddenly filled with a small mushroom-cloud of snow and dirt.

He remained completely motionless as he watched the debris and smoke clear the scene. He was surprised, however, to discover that no one was there when the smoke disappeared.

"Did it work?" Sakura asked as she strained her neck to get a clearer view.

Before he could reply, however, he was suddenly met with the furious face of Sasuke coming towards them at break-neck speed; a murderous look in his eyes.

At any other moment, Naruto _might_ have slightly feared for his life from the sheer look of anger on Sasuke's face. This time, however, as Sasuke dropped in front of them with ash and dirt all over his clothes and face, in addition to the sporadic directions that his hair now jutted out in, Naruto found it hard to keep his composure.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked angrily between labored breaths. "What the _fuck_ was that?"

Sakura glanced quickly at Naruto, and as Naruto stared back, he couldn't have prepared himself for their next reactions. As soon as they had looked at each other, Sakura and Naruto were suddenly overcome with uncontrollable laughter.

Sasuke bristled as Sakura leaned back against the side of the tree as she grasped her stomach between bouts of laughter. Naruto, who was now writhing on his back, was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

"I'm sorry...(laugh)...teme, but I can't (laugh)...even talk to you...while you (laugh)...have all of that shit on your face...(laugh)" Naruto replied through laughs as tears came to the corner of his eyes. Sakura had hidden her face in her hands in the attempt to disguise her laughter from the now irate Uchiha. As Naruto sat up in order to try and verbalize some sort of apology, he was again overcome with laughter at the Uchiha's disheveled appearance.

Before Naruto could apologize, however, he heard a short growl escape the Uchiha's mouth and mentally concluded that now would be the best time to run. Sasuke wouldn't do anything to Sakura, but Naruto knew that the same could not be said for him.

"Run, Sakura!" Naruto shouted as he flipped backwards off of the branch and dropped to a lower one, while Sakura bailed in the opposite direction. He felt Sasuke prepare to leap after him when he was intercepted by Kakashi, who obviously escaped the explosion in time to be spared. Naruto turned around and began leaping backwards as he watched the still-fuming Uchiha.

"Hey Sasuke, you coming to the party tonight?" Naruto called as he leapt backwards through the trees.

"No!" Came the quick and angry reply.

"Why?" He asked through a grin.

"Because you'll be there, asshole!"

"Suit yourself!" Naruto laughed as he caught a last glimpse of Kakashi holding Sasuke back with a hand. Sasuke wouldn't try Kakashi's authority when it came to something as severe as formal probation.

As Naruto burst through the clearing of the trees, he recounted everything that had happened and began to laugh again. Sasuke was fun to mess with, and even more fun to fight with. Naruto felt his mood drop at the mention of his and Sasuke's fight.

The spar that they had both formally declared against each other was scheduled to happen tomorrow. It would be the "winner-take-all" in what was already turning out to be something far more serious than just a trivial spar. The loser was expected to own up to their own dirty secret, but Naruto had resolved in his mind to lie about it should he lose the fight. He would win the fight, for as much as he tried to deny it, he really did desire to know why Sasuke came back to the village.

Naruto frowned as he remembered the party he was to go to tonight. The rest of the Rookie Nine were scheduled to make it back by that afternoon, but Naruto had heard word that Team Gai had already returned.

According to Sakura, Tsunade had already informed them of his return, so he at least new that there would be no element of surprise to exacerbate the already-awkward place he was going to find himself in. They would all wonder, and the questions they wanted to ask would taint the atmosphere, but hopefully none of them would ask. His situation looked bad, but he hoped he had established enough of his ideals for everyone to come to the conclusion themselves that he didn't run away, or cop out, or abandon them. He did what he did because he couldn't stand the thought of putting them in a place of danger when it could have been so preventable.

Naruto sighed. The last few days had been a royal hurricane of confusion. His return, Sasuke's return, his feelings for Sasuke: he felt as if everything had just slammed against him from every angle with no second to breathe or slow down. Things just happened. That's the way it was.

He sighed. The idea of going to a party held in his and Sai's honor seemed morbid and so wrong. But if anything redeemable could be drawn from it all, it would be his silent goal of making amends with those who he cared about. If death was on his door step, then now was the time to do things outside of his comfort zone. In a normal state of health, he didn't see how he could gracefully handle every tribulation being hurled at him, but it didn't matter, because there was an ending in sight. It was way more of an end than Naruto wanted to be involved in, but with the end of his life on earth also came the end of danger to the others.

He was the last person in the Shinobi world who had a jinchuuriki. Gaara's was taken, rumor had it that the host of the 8-tailed beast could control his, and all of the other jinchuuriki had passed on. After all this time, he still hadn't been able to control the Kyuubi. He was the last Jinchuuriki alive, and thus lived as the last major threat to the Shinobi world, all because he couldn't control a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. The disastrous era of demons was becoming legendary, and maybe it was his time. If he left this world, so did the last living remnant of a demonic legion.

Who knew, though? He firmly believed that he wasn't scared, but only time would tell if he came to that point. Naruto grasped at the phantom spot on his chest where he had suffered earlier that day; the blood from his coughing still spattered between his fingers. Naruto may have been on deaths door, but one thing was certain: if his life was going to be taken, he was going to go out in style.

"Naruto?" Came a voice from behind as Naruto was pulled from his thoughts. His stomach dropped when he saw the undeniable faces of Team Gai in front of him.

(END CHAPTER)

Thanks for reading, guys! Review if you want to! It motivates me to keep going! Until next time ~ DaisyTango


	15. Cruel Irony: Chapter 15 Barriers

_"You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel."_

Previously:

_**"Naruto?" Came a voice from behind as Naruto was pulled from his thoughts. His stomach dropped when he saw the undeniable faces of Team Gai in front of him."**_

Current:

"Naruto?" Lee asked in what sounded like pure bewilderment. The other two, Neji and TenTen, peered at him in intense concentration as if they were trying to resolve a highly difficult math problem. Lee looked as though he was trying to distinguish a real human being from a phantom.

"H-Hey." Was the brilliant response that Naruto was able to muster.

He had been mentally preparing himself for that night when he was _supposed_ to have seen every body for the first time; however, the last few weeks had shown him just how much life loved to back-hand him in the face. He should've known better than to expect the _easy_ way to go about things.

A light-year seemed to pass as opposite parties tried to verbalize something appropriate to say. Naturally, the first thing that would come to mind would be a demand for a detailed explanation as to where he had been. It was clear to Naruto, however, that they had either been ordered not to ask, or were simply too awe-struck to even try. The awkward glances that TenTen passed between herself and Neji indicated to Naruto that they had probably been informed of his return, and just couldn't think of anything to say other than the obvious questions one would ask.

"Well, uh...how have you guys be-" But before he could continue with his thought, however, he was suddenly slammed a few feet backwards as a flash of green collided into his chest. Lee, who now displayed a look of pure elation, wrapped Naruto in a bone-crushing hug. Naruto, who probably shouldn't have been surprised by the green boys unchecked display of affection, struggled for air between the confusion and surprise. Lee stepped backwards and looked brightly at Naruto; a huge grin stretched across his face.

"They told us you had come back, but I...and then you...and you're here...and it's really you...and I just-"

"Give him some space, Lee." TenTen said through a light laugh as she stepped up to Naruto. "Welcome back, Naruto." She replied softly as she wrapped him in an embrace. TenTen had always been known as the "cool" girl in their generation. When Sakura, Ino and most of the other girls had been consumed with trivial crushes and infatuation, TenTen had established herself as the only girl who seemed to be mature. She was reliable and concentrated her energy into a higher knowledge of weapons. In many ways, TenTen probably had far more potential than most people were aware of. Neji, who was characteristically more hesitant with the whole situation, remained withdrawn.

Neji had always reminded Naruto of Sasuke. He wasn't cold or reclusive like Sasuke tended to be, but he still remained stoic in most situations and practiced the art of constant reservation. Naruto, who had always been known for being reckless and loud, had torn down the barriers of Neji's pride once-upon-a-fight when they were kids. That match, in which Neji learned that fate and circumstance don't _have_ to define a person, was the first time that Neji changed his feelings towards the blonde that so many loved to hate. Even so, Neji didn't give into new philosophies easily, which would explain the unwilligness to be as happy as TenTen or Rock Lee. Naruto's departure three years ago was sketchy, and Neji didn't intend to fully drop his guard until he knew what and why Naruto had done the things he had done.

"Naruto..." Neji remarked devoid of any emotion. Naruto looked up at him as TenTen and Lee too turned to face him. Naruto felt like he was waiting on bated breath for the Hyuuga to say something.

"Naruto, you..." He stopped. He obviously wanted to ask the 'forbidden questione.' Naruto almost smiled at how ridiculous that sounded.

"Well, welcome home." Neji finished; a small-but-genuine smile appearing on his face as he placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Really."

"Thanks." Naruto replied softly

After a good thirty minutes of catching up and chatting, Team Gai had finally left in order to report their A-Rank mission results to Tsunade. This meeting had gone well, but Naruto attributed it's easiness with the fact that they had obviously been told not to ask about his departure. They hadn't once inquired about why he had left or why he had come back, and Naruto was sincerely thankful. The atmosphere had occasionally taken an awkward turn whenever the prospect of his departure came into the conversation, but Naruto imagined that every one was and would be behaving similarly.

He had already had to lie about his appearance and didn't know if he could sustain another lie without weakening the fragile infrastructure of his story. He figured that Tsunade had ordered every one not to ask as a means of keeping he and Sai in the village longer by keeping the peer-pressure at a managable level.

Naruto frowned. He knew Tsunade was doing this out of pure affection, and he hated that she was going to such lengths to do it.

_"I want to be pissed off about it, but I guess that's not fair." _Naruto huffed to himself as he continued his walk back to the Konoha markets. He was supposed to meet Sakura and Sai in four hours.

(SCENE CHANGE)

"There's nothing wrong with him, Shikamaru-san." Sai remarked through one of his age-old fake smiles. Shikamaru lazily raised an eyebrow. He and Shikamaru Naru were held in a verbal draw as both stood their ground atop Konoha's roofs.

"There's no point in lying about it Sai. Hokage-sama has already informed me that something's wrong with his seal, so you might as well cooperate with me."

"I assure you, Shikamaru-san, Naruto is fine." Sai replied flatly without dropping the sappy over-tones. His confidence slightly dropped, however, when Shikamaru audibly sighed as he took a long drag of a new cigarette.

"I know you're trying to help him, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Naruto is hiding something." He replied casually as he blew the smoke out of the side of his mouth.

"I'm not sure I understand." Sai ventured dishonestly. Shikamaru sighed at the trouble of having to explain himself to someone who knew as well as he did what was going on.

"Three years ago, both of you abandoned the village in the middle of complete health and loyalty, without leaving a shred of evidence as to where you had gone. Fast-forward to the present where Naruto's appearance has drastically changed, he refuses to speak about why he left, and he looks sick enough to be on deaths door. Adding all of that up, do you honestly expect anyone to believe that he is 'fine'?" Shikamaru asked lazily. Sai's countenance slightly fell. Shikamaru shoved the lighter back into his pocket and looked at Sai intensely.

"Something is going on between Naruto and the Nine Tailed Fox, and you might as well stop denying it. We are all aware."

Sai inwardly surrendered. He was dealing with Konoha's top strategist. He was the last person who would believe a lie.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru-san, but if there had been any possible way to go about fixing the problem, we would have done it already."

"I've been given access to some of Konoha's most protected manuscripts on sealing techniques. I've read a few of them, and the information they contain is almost unbelievable; certainly things that you or Naruto wouldn't have had access to in three years of village-hopping."

Sai sent him a conflicted look, which prompted Shikamaru to speak up again.

"If you tell me everything you know about Naruto; everything you've been told, everything you've seen, everything you've heard - all of it, I think we might be able to help him."

"You don't understand. I promised him I wouldn't betray him."

"What do you value more; a promise, or his life?"

Sai felt a wave of surprise wash over him. He watched as Shikamaru ground his cigarette into the ground before he turned his back on him completely.

"I'll be in the Hokage tower when you make up your mind." Shikamaru replied as he disappeared in a puff of smoke; leaving nothing behind but a puff of smoke, a crushed cigarette, and a very conflicted Sai.

(SCENE CHANGE)

"And what exactly have you conspired to do about the current situation with Uzumaki Naruto and the ROOT-child Sai?" asked one of Konoha's elders Chihaya. Tsuande, who now stood in the middle of a council-meeting with Konoha's elders, remained firm as she gave her answer.

"I have arranged for a domestic arrest to be enacted on Saturday. It will consist of Shinobi of Jounin, Chuunin and ANBU rank. I have already stationed several of Konoha's ANBU on the outside of the village. When the time comes, we will force them into a domestic arrest. If it proves to be succesful, we will bring them into custody where they will be questioned and tried fairly on their behaviors as missing-nin." Tsunade replied confidently. It was common knowledge that she didn't fair well with anyone of a higher authority, but she would willingly cooperate if it meant she could gain their trust on this issue.

The elders conversed amongsth themselves as Chihaya sat back in her chair and peered at Tsunade with stoic eyes.

"Is it not true that Uzumaki Naruto is the Jinchuuriki for the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox?"

"It's true."

"Does his relationship with the Kyuubi have anything to do with his depatrure three years ago?"

"I cannot be certain. However, we plan to enact a thorough study upon his seal and relationship with the Kyuubi once we have him in custody."

Chihaya adjusted her glasses as she carefully observed a paper she now held in her hands.

"It says here that his healing times have dropped drastically from the time he spent in the academy and under the direction of Hatake Kakashi. According to my knowledge, his healing times were a direct result of his relationship with the Kyuubi. Do you believe this relationship has changed since that time?"

Tsunade swallowed nervously as she scanned the faces of the now-interested elders.

"I believe the seal that has held the Kyuubi in a place of submission has been weakened over time." Tsunade replied flatly. She winced as the room erupted into whispers. The elders, who were the most intolerant of the Kyuubi (and by extension, Naruto), had never considered Naruto's welfare above that of the village. Believing him to be highly dangerous, they had always been wary of anything that could have slipped through the system when it came to Naruto, but in the last few years, Naruto had proven himself worthy of everyone's recognition and respect.

"Impossible!" Someone yelled, jerking Tsunade from her thoughts. "Uzumaki Naruto's seal was drawn by the Fourth Hokage himself and was specially designed not to decay. The issue lies elsewhere."

Tsunade carefully spoke up:

"We believed the same thing to be true as well, Jirou-San, but it has been revealed to me by Shikamaru Nara that seals can weaken overtime if the user borrows power from the demon sealed inside. There was once a time where Naruto heavily relied on the Kyuubi and borrowed its chakra on a regular basis. He theorizes that this contact weakened the state of the seal into a place of invalidity. He is now suppressing the Kyuubi on will-power alone and is fighting death because of it." She replied as the room again burst into panicked whispers.

"Death? Explain what you mean by this." Chihaya demanded.

"We haven't determined the exact cause, but for some reason, we believe that Naruto is dying." It was difficult to even think about, much less _explain_. "We do not understand why, but his body is decaying with every day that passes, and we believe it has something to do with the Kyuubi. If we do not do something soon, I dare say he will cease to live another month."

"Quiet!" Chihaya barked to the gossiping elders around her, who simultaneously hushed with her stark demand. She turned her full attention to Tsunade and suddenly spoke very quietely. "You do understand, Tsunade, that if this issue with Uzumaki Naruto fails to be resolved, he will have to be permanentely exiled from the peramaters of Konohagakure. We cannot afford to entertain the Nine-Tailed Fox at a time like this, and if your domestic arrest proves to be a failure, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to leave the child alone, and allow him to die in peace." Chihaya remarked with unexpected sobriety.

"I understand." Tsunade remarked barely above a whisper. It was now that she realized how severely this plan had to work; for if it failed, so did Naruto's chance at surviving.

(SCENE CHANGE) Three Hours Later ~

"Is that entirely necessary?" Naruto asked as he swatted Sakura's hand away from his wild hair.

"There!" She replied in satisfaction as she smoothed down the last rebellious lock of liquid-sunshine hair. Sai, who stood next to Naruto in equal displeasure, looked down at his now-covered midriff and frowned. She stepped back and observed her handiwork.

"I have outdone myself." She replied as she tugged on the hem of Sai's shirt that was 'accidentally' finding it's way back up the boys stomach. Sai shifted awkwardly as Naruto pouted with his arms stretched behind his back. They were now standing in front of Ino's house. The party that Naruto and Sai had been dreading was now a reality.

In Konoha, they rarely ever had time for "parties", so Naruto found that he didn't really know how he was supposed to react to such a concept. When they did, however, Naruto was usually the ice-breaker and the first one to start dancing on tables.

"Sai, you look so good!" Sakura replied as she brushed off his shoulders. Naruto smirked when he caught the faint tint of pink that dusted his cheeks.

"Thank you, Sakura-san." He replied through the default Sai-smile. Naruto frowned as he felt his thoughts drifting back to Sai's current situation.

When Sai had first been introduced as part of Team Seven, he was still under the constant cloud of his life in ROOT and his loyalty to Danzo. He had been trained to operate as a tool; a weapon. Danzo's organization, (that had even gone so far as to depersonalize everything so much that Sai was given a fake name), was the only reason that Sai had left the village with Naruto.

Sai had started off emotionally inept and socially awkward beyond all human capacity. He said rude things, made crass comments, responded bizarrely to emotion and had abandoned any and every trace of human compassion that was in existence. However, after his induction into Team Seven, Sakura had educated him on the importance of feelings, and Naruto had showed him the concept of a bond. With their examples paving the way, Sai soon became likable to those around him, and had even managed to establish his own friends.

But because he lived under the constant threat of ROOT, he had left Konoha with Naruto as a rogue. Danzo was dead, though. Realistically, Sai didn't have to leave. Sai could resume the life of happiness he had only begun to start before it was taken away in one fell swoop.

_"He's been with me every step of the way. I owe him __**something**__..."_Naruto thought as he again allowed himself to fall into a place of darkness. He decided then and there that he would ask Sai personally to stay in the village and let him go on. Sai deserved it, and if Naruto was going to concentrate on making amends, Sai definitely needed to be considered a priority.

"You guys ready?" Sakura asked as they stepped up to the door.

"Let's just get this ov-ACK!" Naruto shouted as he was suddenly steam-rolled over by what appeared to be a large, white boulder. He felt like his sternum was going to crack in two as the phantom-object stood on top of him. In the split second that this had happened, he suddenly felt something slimy drip down the side of his face. He looked up into the goofy face of a very excited Akamaru. The muffled laughter of Sakura could be heard as Sai peered down at him in complete bewilderment.

"Akamaru?" Naruto questioned as the ridiculously large dog barked in reply.

"Get off of him, Akamaru!" Shouted another familiar voice. Naruto sat up as Kiba, Shino and Hinata approached them all from behind. Akamaru bounced happily back to Kiba's side as Team Kurenai appeared in front of them.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked in surprise. Her voice still carried its high-pitched softness, but she spoke without stuttering and seemed to be more confident than she had been just a few years ago.

"So the rumors were true." Shino remarked in vague surprise.

"Well I'll be damned, Uzumaki Naruto is alive!" Kiba said through a laugh.

"Hey guys!" Naruto remarked brightly when it appeared that the shock was fading.

"How ya' been man?" Kiba asked.

Naruto didn't notice the quick glance that Sai and Sakura accidentally cast each other. They both knew he hadn't been well, but neither knew that the other knew. (A/N - LOL sorry for this sentence.) Sakura turned away awkwardly as she tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.

"I've been great, man! And look at you! You're a jounin!" Naruto remarked as he observed the green vest the boy was wearing. It appeared that most of his generation were Jounin now, and even a few of higher rank. Naruto inwardly cringed as he remembered that he was the only one who was still considered a genin.

"Yepp!" Kiba chirped proudly. Kiba had always been the most similar personality to Naruto, and thus they usually got along fairly well.

"It's good to have you back, Naruto-kun. You too Sai-kun." Hinata remarked sweetly, although she wouldn't make eye-contact with Naruto. She had never been able to look him in the eye, and it confused him even now.

Naruto blanched as the atmosphere suddenly took on a very stifling undertone. Team Kurenai stood in silence, indicating to Naruto that his theory had been true: every one had been ordered not to speak of his departure or return. It felt weird, for naturally the first questions that people would ask would be "Why did you leave?" or "Why did you fake your death?" But now, as every one stood in pretend silence, Naruto could taste the bad taste in his mouth that the whole scene was giving him.

This bizarre behavior and pretend enthusiasm that he and Sai were just supposed to endure around their friends felt weird and almost dishonest. There was no way this "celebration" could be as fun as they had hoped, because Naruto knew that the questions and theories would hang heavily in the atmosphere. Every one would pretend like they were having fun, but the proverbial question of why he and Sai had faked death three years ago would be the first thing on everyones' minds. He knew that they would all go about the night pretending that nothing was wrong when they all so obviously wanted to pin him down and demand to know answers.

As Naruto looked at the fakely positive faces of his friends, he suddenly regret the decision he made to allow Ino to throw a "party" for he and Sai. He had never in his life been the cause of so much awkwardness, and he hated that he made people feel this uncomfortable. The only person that had ever generated this level of awkward tension was Sasuke; and that was the way Sasuke liked it. Naruto suddenly wished that he was wherever Sasuke was.

"Well this is awkward." Came the lazy voice of Shikamaru Nara upon the scene.

"Hey Shikamaru!" Sakura chirped happily.

A wave of relief washed over Naruto as the others began conversing with Shikamaru about the results of the mission they had completed. Naruto watched in genuine interest as they all appeared to be referring to Shikamaru as a superior.

After a few minutes of enjoyable chatting, they were pulled from their thoughts as Ino came to the door.

"What are you guys doing out here? We only have so much time, you know." She commented.

"She's right guys. Time is a fickle thing." Shikamaru replied. Naruto watched in confusion as he rounded on an unsuspecting Sai. "Isn't that right, Sai?" He asked lowly. Naruto, who could have sworn he saw Sai flinch, observed in curiosity as Sai replied with his signature fake grin:

"Of course, Shikamaru-san."

Ino sent Sakura a confused look, who merely avoided her gaze by staring into a meaningless direction. She had been doing that a lot recently. Hinata, Kiba and Shino sent each other confused glances as Shikamaru held his gaze on Sai: a slight smirk on his usually blank face. This silent conversation that the two were waging against each other was obviously something only they could understand. After what seemed a small decade, Kiba finally broke the silence:

"Uhh...right. Can we go inside now?" He asked in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation from where it was currently going.

"Oh! Of course." Ino replied as she turned to go inside.

When every one started inside, Naruto sent Sai a look of curiosity, but was shut-down as the younger boy looked away quickly. Something had happened between Shikamaru and Sai, and it was enough to put Sai into a place of confliction.

As Naruto stepped through the door, it was then that he decided he was going to have to put on one hell of a show for these people: the people he respected and cared for.

(Three Hours Later)

Naruto laughed as he stumbled out the door and onto Ino's backporch as an irate Kiba launched a cup at him. Shutting the glass door before he could be on the receving end of Kiba's diatribe, Naruto slammed the door in his face as Kiba sent a few colorful gestures towards Naruto.

Naruto, who had just cheated his way into a gambling victory against Kiba, was now leaning against a porch railing. He closed his eyes as a cold gust of air rushed past him.

"This feels good." Naruto commented to himself as the cold wind blew against his hot skin. The past three hours had been extraordinarily fun. Every one of the original Rookie Nine had shown up, and Kakashi, Kurenai and Gai had even stopped by. Iruka still hadn't returned, and of course Sasuke didn't show up, but it had managed to be fun anyway.

Naruto's euphoric musing was put on hold as his thoughts again drifted to Sasuke. He would never have admit it to himself, but it would have been more fun with Sasuke there sucking the fun out of everything.

_"I wonder if he still refuses to show up to these things." _Naruto thought as he watched the mute dancing and talking of every one else inside. If Sasuke had truly returned of his own accord, he would have known what he was getting himself into. Apparently Ino had invited Sasuke, which meant that the Rookie Nine were on far better terms with Sasuke than they had been when he left. It didn't make sense. Sasuke didn't show up to parties and he wasn't romantically interested in any one, meaning "part 2" of his goal was suspended in whatever chaotic void Sasuke rationalized his feelings in. If he wasn't going to participate, what did he want from this kind of life?

Naruto sighed. Despite the Uchiha's irrational and mind-blowing behavior, Naruto knew it felt good to know that Sasuke was finally at the place that Naruto had fought for for so long. Sasuke was important to Naruto. Far more important than even Naruto himself knew, and if he was going to die, it would be easier to deal with death knowing that Sasuke was ok. He may not have made a complete one-eighty, but he was ok nonetheless.

"Having fun?" Sai asked as he too slipped out the door to join Naruto.

"Yeah, how about you?" He returned.

"This has actually been far more enjoyable than I had anticipated." Sai remarked with a glow that Naruto had never seen before.

"Well I would hope so. You danced with every girl we know. You never told me you were such a ladies-man." Naruto repplied cheekily as he elbowed Sai in the ribs.

"Yes, it was quite unexpected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless." Sai replied formally, although Naruto observed the deep shade of red that dusted Sai's cheeks. Sai, for the first time since they had been back, seemed to have really dropped his guard. Naruto was surprised at how easily it had happened, considering the boys history with emotions. Was this what Sai would be like if he were allowed to stay?

"Listen Sai, I was thinking..."

"That's...never good." Sai remarked as his interest perked up. Ignoring the urge to insult him, Naruto continued.

"Yeah well, this is kind of important. I talked with Konohamaru, and apparently, that old bastard you used to work under is dead."

"Danzo-sama?" Sai asked in slight surprise.

"Yeah, him. Konohamaru said he was killed by Sasuke right before he returned. I don't know if it's true or not, but it seems pretty possible."

Naruto watched as Sai seemed to be taking in all of the information he had just revealed.

"Well, that certainly is...unexpected. Maybe I should thank Sasuke before we leave." He mused to himself.

"Well, you see, that's what I want to talk to you about..." Naruto trailed off.

"If you're going to ask me to stay, Naruto, you might as well not even bother. I'm leaving with you." He replied firmly. Naruto felt himself being taken aback.

"Why? There's reason in the world for you to go with me."

"I don't need a reason, Naruto. I'm leaving with you, and that's that. There's nothing more to be discussed." He replied in total and complete resolution and firmness. Naruto wasn't surprised by Sai's defiance, but he expected Sai to at least put a little thought into his proposal.

"You realize that if you leave with me, you won't be able to return, right?" Naruto asked as he felt the frustration boiling inside of him. If Sai left with him and returned one day without him, he would be charged with two counts of being a missing nin. Sai's eyes narrowed in concentration.

"I made a promise to you that I would stay until the very end, whether that end is five days from now, or five decades from now."

"I saw you in there, Sai! You looked happier than I've seen you in years! That...that could be normal for you..." Naruto explained while trying to cover up the slight sense of envy that laced his sentence. "You could have a family and do all the things that you _know_ you want to do."

"The only thing I _know_ I want to do is go with you. We started this whole thing together, we'll finish this whole thing together. I'll figure out the rest later. For now, let's just enjoy this night." Sai remarked too quitely for Naruto's taste. Sai didn't deny any of what he had said, indicating that he would follow Naruto knowing what he was leaving behind.

"Fine. But don't think we're done talking about this." Naruto remarked grumpily. A few minutes passed as the cold wind stung their faces.

"Are you scared?" Sai asked quitely.

"Not really."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I just know that every one's gonna be ok. That makes it...easier." He replied sadly.

"What about you?" Sai asked assertively.

"What about me?"

"Are you 'ok'?

"I'm..."

But before he could finish, the door burst open as Sakura appeared in front of them. Her facial expression instantly turned to worry as she observed the boys in what was obviously a serious conversation. She, being one of three people who knew something was awry, could only imagine what they were talking about.

"Is...something wrong?" She asked in feigned curiosity.

"No, Sakura-san. Naruto and I were just discussing how fun this has all been."

"Yepp!" Naruto replied in complete honesty. They _had_ been talking about how fun it was, just not in that exact moment. Relief visibly washed over Sakura.

"Oh good." She replied as her eyes lit up. "Sai, will you dance with me?"

"I..." But before he could reply, Sakura had grabbed his wrist and was pulling him through the door. She turned around and sent a quick glance towards Naruto.

"Your next." She replied as she pulled Sai back into the house.

"I figured!" He called as the door shut behind them, leaving Naruto once again to his thoughts.

(INSIDE)

"Have you been able to figure anything out?" Kurenai asked Kakashi quietely. Kurenai, Gai and Kakashi found themselves in a hushed conversation over the boy who had just walked outside.

Because they were in a room with all of Naruto and Sai's peers, they found themselves speaking very quietely as the conversation turned to the bizarre behavior of Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja.

"Not yet. I wanted to, but Tsunade-sama has asked every one to keep quiet." Kakashi replied flatly.

"Do you think she plans to do something about it? I've heard rumors that they intend to leave again." Kurenai replied in a whisper.

"I don't know. All I know is if she doesn't, others will." Kakashi explained.

"What is that kid trying to do?" Gai asked in confusion as he sighed.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Kakashi replied with unexpected vigor.

(BACK OUTSIDE)

Naruto shivered unexpectedly as a chill from the arctic air wracked his body. He stopped as he felt a distinct chakra coming up behind him.

He felt a brush of wind beside him as Sasuke landed gracefully beside him. Naruto observed ins light surprise as the Uchiha sported the typical outfit of a Konoha ANBU.

"Sasuke! You came! I'm so..." He tried to find a word to explain his current feeling. "Actually, I'm so shocked. You told me you weren't coming." Naruto remarked as Sasuke pulled himself into a standing position.

"That was after you launched a paper bomb at me." Sasuke replied flatly. He glared as Naruto began to laugh.

"That was hilarious, Sasuke, and you know it. You're face...I can't even _portray_ how ridiculous you looked." Naruto remarked as he began laughing again.

"You're lucky I'm on probabtion, _dobe_, or I would kick your ass to Kirigakure for doing it."

"Riiiight..." Naruto remarked in obvious sarcasm. Sasuke sent him a glare.

Naruto took this time to observe Sasuke as he stood sillhouetted against the moon. His hair was soft and long, and the sharp angles that they protruded out in made Sasuke look highly dangerous. His forever-endless eyes were barely distinguishable against the equally-endless night, and his skin appeared to be porcelain against the white-wash of the moons light. Naruto shook his head as he acknowledged how badass he looked in the ANBU uniform.

"_Damn. He looks so hot right now." _Naruto thought as he mentally crucified himself for thinking it. He hadn't wanted to 'test the waters' regarding his new feelings for Sasuke, but they were easy to entertain when he realized he had only a few more days of dealing with it.

"So, what's with the ANBU get-up?" Naruto asked trying to change the subject. "Did you think this was a costume party?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I'm temporarily serving as captain, moron." He replied flatly.

"Oh. When did that happen?" Naruto asked, trying to mask the jealousy. ANBU in and of itself was a high honor to be associated with. To be considered captain was a ridiculously high achievement.

"A year ago."

Naruto scoffed.

"Well that's rich. Weren't you the one who said you would never join an ANBU rank?" Naruto asked as he smirked at Sasuke.

"I didn't _want_ to, I _had_ to. It was part of my probation." Sasuke explained in annoyance.

"Well that's good. It's not like you've ever showed a real passion for limitless power or anything." Naruto replied through a laugh as Sasuke cast him a glare.

"I'm not a _complete_ asshole, you know." Sasuke replied in obvious irritation.

"I know." Naruto returned almost feeling slightly guilty. A few minutes passed before Sasuke broke the silence:

"What did you mean by 'again'?" Sasuke asked suddenly. Naruto blanked.

"Again? When did I say that?"

"This morning. At the training ground. You started coughing up blood, but then you said 'not again.' How often does that happen to you?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh that?" Naruto asked in fake casuality. "Granny Tsunade said that would happen if I wasn't careful. I guess it's just taking a while for me to heal." He lied.

"You've never had a problem with healing." Sasuke urged.

Before Naruto could respond, however, the door was suddenly thrust open as Sai stepped out, but stopped immediately upon seeing Sasuke. Sasuke immediately sent the younger boy a glare made of pure animocity as Sai mirrored the gesture. By the time Sakura had come to the door, Naruto had visually begged her to drag Sai back inside, and was incredibly thankful when she grabbed his hand and asked him to dance again. Naruto watched in relief as the door closed.

"What were you saying about being an asshole?" Naruto remarked in annoyance at the still-rigid Uchiha.

"He pisses me off."

"No shit. But he's actually kind of grateful to you since you killed that bastard Danzo. You might try and give him a chance."

"How do you know that?" Sasuke asked as he rounded on Naruto.

_"Shit..." _Naruto thought as he realized his verbal slip-up. He wasn't supposed to have known that Sasuke killed Konoha's most powerful elder. "Uhh...someone told me." He explained. He remembered Konohamaru's silent plea not to tell Sasuke he knew.

"Naruto."

"Does it matter? I don't know why it's such a big deal. Konoha's better off without that guy anyway, there's no reason to try and hide it."

"I'm not hiding it. There's just no reason to talk about it." Sasuke replied in annoyance.

"Yeah I know the feeling." Naruto replied without thinking.

"What does that even mean, idiot?"

Naruto mentally smacked himself.

"I don't even know. Just ignore me." He replied as he turned around and leaned on the railing with his elbows. A few minutes passed before he spoke up again; an uneasy feeling rising in his chest.

"Hey Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he looked out into the night sky. Konoha was surrendering for another night of sleep as the lights turned off one by one. The Hokage monument stood in shadow as stars littered the sky.

"Hn."

"Do you have any regrets?" Naruto ventured carefully. He heard Sasuke turn to look at him.

"Where is this coming from?"

"I don't know. Just curious."

A few minutes passed before Sasuke finally spoke up.

"Yes."

"How often do you think about them?" Naruto asked in sudden empathy. He felt himself venturing into a place that he didn't often allow himself to get to.

"All the damn time." Sasuke remarked quietely as he too turned to try and find whatever Naruto was staring at. Naruto felt surprise wash over him at Sasuke's declaration.

It was okay and probably good for Sasuke to have regrets. Every normal person had regrets, but Sasuke had hardly ever taken the normal route with anything. Where as most people would just use regrets as a way to make wiser decisions, Sasuke would dwell on regret to the point of turning it into some kind of poorly-justified obsession.

Naruto frowned. The prospect of Sasuke falling into a state of insanity again was almost too exhausting and terrible to even entertain. Naruto knew that he needed to give Sasuke credit for returning and staying, but Sasuke made him a nervous wreck. He always had before, and he was still trying to get used to the Sasuke that was beside him. Naruto suddenly felt the need to say something; _anything_ to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you..." Naruto stopped. Looking awkwardly away, he decided to try again: "I mean, obviously I don't know a whole lot, but you...you're at a good place right now. I guess all I'm trying to say is, just don't...change." He explained almost desperately. He was treading dangerous territory, but it was territory that needed to be treaded before he lost his chance indefinitely.

"Why are you telling me this?" Sasuke suddenly asked darkly. Naruto braced himself for what he would say next. He didn't know if it was the right thing to say, but it was something he had to say. He _needed_ to say it.

"I just want you to know that I'm really damn happy that you came back. If no one else has ever told you that, I guess I just want you to know that _I'm_ telling you. So if you ever doubt that it was a good decision, just know that someone _told_ you it was." Naruto replied quitely. He didn't dare look at the Uchiha.

These words even _sounded_ like they were coming from the heart of someone who was dying. These words were so raw and so final. A million years seemed to pass as he waited for Sasuke to respond to the uncharacteristic display of honesty. To Sasuke, this level of honesty would seem unprompted and bizarre, but Naruto knew how desperately it needed to be said. He would never have a chance to say it again, and whether he knew Sasuke's reason for returning or not, it was imperative.

"Naruto." Sasuke spoke sharply. As Naruto turned his head to face the Uchiha, he was suddenly aware of the fact that Sasuke now hovered mere centimeters away from his face. He suddenly felt almost drunk as Sasuke's breath warmed his numb cheeks and eyelids.

"Why do you _still_ go this far for me?" Sasuke whispered darkly as both boys radiated heat at ungodly levels.

"Why do you _still_ ask that?" Naruto replied lazily as he lost himself in the overwhelming heat. He was losing his inhibition, and he was losing it fast.

Before he could continue his thought, however, he suddenly felt shock crash over him as Sasuke lightly brushed his lips across his own. His world seemed to suspend itself in a total and complete state of paralysis as he felt the phantom sensation of Sasuke's lips on his. He tried to make sense of what just happened as the barriers of his control splintered and cracked around him.

Before he could respond, however, he felt Sasuke's lips on his again. This time, the kiss deepened and felt highly desperate. Naruto felt himself stepping backwards as Sasuke pushed him into a wall and placed his hands on his chest; all the while kissing him with the hottest, most desperate lust Naruto had ever felt. Naruto mentally blanked as he felt himself being overcome with pure, animalistic intoxication. He stood in mind-numbing euphoria as Sasuke deepened the kissing, and Naruto felt himself begging for more.

As quick as he had thought it, Naruto felt himself kissing back with just as much passion as Sasuke was. His hands twisted and pulled at the raven's hair as Sasuke clawed at Naruto like an animal. Naruto felt like he wanted to completely implode when Sasuke tore at his clothes and growled lowly.

Four years of unbridled obsession over Sasuke had attributed to his behavior that he now knew was lust. In some way or another, he had always been attracted to Sasuke Uchiha, whether it was by friendship, rivalry, or apparently, lust. This is what four years of sleepless nights, endless frustration and constant worry had lead to. It was desperate, real, and Naruto found himself absolutely pining for more as they both tore at each other in a way that they had never ventured before.

Before he could finish his thought, however, both boys were suddenly torn from their thoughts as the door slammed open. Naruto didn't know exactly what had happened, but all he did know was that he saw the faces of Sakura and Sai staring at him in total and complete confusion.

(END CHAPTER)

Hey guys! DaisyTango here! I hope you guys like this chapter!

The first part of this chapter actually drove me CRAZY, but the last part was a lot of fun to write. (If you catch my drift.) ;D

Please favorite/review/whatever you want, because I love getting reviews! I got a considerable amount of reviews on the last chapter, and it really motivated me to write this one! Again, sorry about the first part of this chapter, but it was just something that needed to happen. I hope you guys like this! :D ~DaisyTango


	16. Cruel Irony: Chapter 16 Collapse

_"I'm gonna let you down, I know that now. Make you cry? I know I will. Why should you believe I would never leave, or that I love you still? Hard as we try, the boughs break and the craddles fall. For everything I do that will tear at you, let me say I'm sorry now."_ - Shawn Colvin _"I'll Say I'm Sorry Now"_

**PREVIOUSLY:**

_"Four years of unbridled obsession over Sasuke had attributed to his behavior that he now knew was lust. In some way or another, he had always been attracted to Sasuke Uchiha, whether it was by friendship, rivalry, or apparently, lust. This is what four years of sleepless nights, endless frustration and constant worry had lead to. It was desperate, real, and Naruto found himself absolutely pining for more as they both tore at each other in a way that they had never ventured before._

_Before he could finish his thought, however, both boys were suddenly torn from their thoughts as the door slammed open. Naruto didn't know exactly what had happened, but all he did know was that he saw the faces of Sakura and Sai staring at him in total and complete confusion."_

**PRESENT:**

In the split second that the door had opened, Naruto felt Sasuke tear himself away from him with unrivaled speed and urgency. As Naruto waited on bated breath for Sakura or Sai to call them out for what they had just done, he began to feel a fraction of hope as neither Sakura or Sai seemed to know what was going on.

They both stood there before him in undeniable confusion, but they did not appear to be especially horrified or shell-shocked. It was a fraction of a hope, but Naruto began to think that maybe Sasuke had been fast enough. Maybe they didn't see what had happened. Maybe, they had gotten away with it...

"Sasuke? When did you get he-...?"

"I have to go." Sasuke remarked quickly; cutting Sakura off in the process. Naruto remained mute as he felt Sasuke hurriedly bound off of the balcony, and into the safety of night.

"Sasuke, wait!" She called after him; but to no avail. He was gone.

The floor was the only thing that Naruto felt comfortable enough to have eye-contact with as the feelings of remorse began to set in.

As best he could, he tried his damned hardest to show Sakura and Sai that nothing had happened. Nothing was wrong. He felt completely washed-out and dizzy, but he resolved in that moment that he had to delay his thoughts until he was out of their presence. Sakura rounded on him:

"What was that all about?" She asked in curiocity.

"Uh...nothing. That bastard showed up and we kind of got into a fight..." He tried weakly. His acting skills were hardly believable at this point, but he had to try. She scrunched her face in dissatisfaction, but asked no more.

He and Sasuke had gone too far this time. Sure, their relationship had always flown between polar extremes: extreme rivalry, extreme friendship, extreme animocity. But they had never ventured into extreme lust, and Naruto felt the bile and self-hate rising in his body because of it. They had recovered from every other extreme, but they would _never_ recover from what they had just done.

"I sense elevated levels of tension in the atmosphere." Sai remarked blankly.

Naruto would have quipped a sarcastic comment, but the pounding of a migraine began to chip away at his skull. It was very similar to the severe headaches he had been having, but the only difference was this time, he welcomed it. He needed a distraction, a way out; anything to get him away from this place.

"Naruto you look a little pale. Are you ok?" Sakura asked worriedly as she stepped in front of him.

"I don't...know." Naruto remarked distractedly as he winced in pain. His hands began to shake and his vision began to blur over, but he did nothing to stop it. The music inside suddenly seemed loud and warped, and every light seemed to become hyper-saturated. His surroundings spun, voices were muffled and his head continued to wage war against him.

"Sit down, Naruto." Sakura urged as Sai appeared beside him. Naruto had just braced one arm on the table when he felt himself lose all his strength. Before he knew it, he had shoved the table out from under his arm and saw nothing but black.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped as he crumpled to the ground. The table and chairs clattered hideously on the deck as she caught a last glimpse of his eyes rolling back into his head.

"Sai, get Kakashi!" She ordered as Sai bolted inside. She stepped over his unconcious figure and began checking his pulse and heart rate. She heard the music shut-off as the rest of her peers clambered out the door to see what was going on.

"Oh my god." Ino gasped upon viewing Naruto's currently lifeless body. Whispering and mild panic broke out among all of them.

Sakura had seen Naruto collapse more times in the past week than she had ever seen before, but she knew it was a direct result of his phantom illness. But the rest of her peers, however, were not used to a Naruto who was this fragile. Naruto was a rough-and-tumble stamina god whose endurance had always been unrivaled. To them, this would look highly ucharacteristic.

"Every body move." Came the voice of Kakashi as he strategically moved through the crowd. "What happened?" He asked calmly as he too bent over Naruto.

"He collapsed again, Kakashi-sensei. He needs to go to the hospital. I'm afraid he might start seizing again."

"I'll take him there." Kakashi remarked as he pulled Naruto's comatose body onto his back. "Sai, you'll help me."

"Hai." Came the resounding reply.

"I'll go too." Sakura replied quickly as she snatched her coat up off the ground. She turned to Ino. "I'm so sorry Ino, but this is urgent."

"Of course. We'll visit later." She remarked genuinely. The rest of the Rookie Nine watched in morbid surprise at the scene that was playing before them. They sent each other looks of confusion in the hope that one of them would have some enlightenment on what had happened. As she turned to follow Kakashi and Sai into the night, she caught a last glimpse of Kurenai and Gai ushering every one back inside.

(SCENE CHANGE - FIVE HOURS LATER)

"Stop doing this. Please." Sakura whispered desperately to herself as she flicked Naruto's golden bangs out of his eyes. The steady beep of the EKG machine was the only sound that could be heard in the room as Sai sat intensely in the corner of the room; his hands folded under his mouth as if he were in deep concentration.

Tsunade and her staff had determined that Naruto was safe enough for now, but she and Tsunade knew what a lie it was. He had brain activity, which indicated that he hadn't sent himself into a coma, but even that wasn't a guarantee for much longer.

In her years of being a medical ninja, she had seen a lot of death. She had also seen many people who were terminally ill, and as she observed her long-lost teammate, she felt herself associating his appearance with many of the people she had watch die. If she wasn't required to be so professional, she knew she would break down.

"Did you think it was weird?" Came the voice of Sai as she was torn out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"That whole scenario between he and Sasuke earlier. Did you get the feeling that there was more to that then they are immediately letting on?"

"I...don't know." She replied as she seated herself next to Sai. For a rare moment, Sakura allowed her facade to change from control into frustration. "Naruto said that they had...had gotten into some kind of fight, but I've seen them fight a thousand times. They almost seemed...embarassed or something."

"..."

She sighed and bowed her head.

"Whenever I think they start to get along, it's like they do something to _completely_ knock each other off balance." She explained in obvious frustration. "I don't know what else they could _possibly_ say or do to each other that they haven't done before..."

"That's my concern."

"I...don't understand." She remarked in obvious confusion.

"I don't think they were fighting."

"What are you suggesting? If it wasn't a fight, what else could it have been?"

"Fighting has always been extraordinarily easy for them to deal with. The opposite hasn't."He remarked carefully, while his face remained in deep concentration. Sakura folded her hands as her eye-brows knit together in theorization.

"The opposite? Well the opposite of fighting would be...love and affection, I guess. I don't see how that-" But her voice hitched as Sai suspected that she had caught on.

"Are you saying that you think Sasuke and Naruto are..." She asked shakily. She didn't need to further explain, for Sai knew exactly what she meant.

"...I wouldn't be surprised."

At this, she collapsed into the back her chair and fell deep into numb, over-exhausted thought.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "How...they never said anything, or..."

"Do you think they would have?" He asked carefully. He tried to form his next words without sounding presumptuous. "They...their behavior for so long now suggests that they harbor feelings much deeper than they ever wanted to reveal, and something happened that caused them to reveal those feelings, and now they are lost."

Sai treaded lightly with this one. Afterall, he didn't have enough credibility to be identifying and explaining an emotion much higher than sarcasm. "It would certainly explain why Sasuke fled the scene so quickly. It also would explain why Naruto allowed himself to succomb to exhaustion. They both found a way out. It is a classic sign of an innability to deal with embarassement."

Sai watched as Sakura sat in total and complete numbness.

"Are you...ok?" He tried.

"Yes, I-I mean...it makes complete sense, and if they _are_...affectionate...for one another, do you know how devastating this could be?" She asked quietely. Sai could see the fear behind her eyes as she entertained every possibility in the book on where they would go from here, and he didn't have an answer.

To make matters worse, Sasuke had dissappeared after it had happened, and had not been seen since. Because of his proation, he was ordered to be under surveillance at all times, but reports had come in that the supervising ANBU had no idea where he had gone. Sakura wasn't suprised.

Minutes passed as both Sakura and Sai remained deep in thought over this new theory. It changed everything. If Sai's theory were true, and past behavior was truly indicative of future behavior, Sasuke would protect his pride severely by building walls around himself more inpenetrable then he ever had before. He would never speak to Naruto again.

Naruto would adopt feelings of crippling remorse and self-hate. He, too, would never speak to Sasuke again.

And in the end, they would both run. Indefinitely.

They would never accept these feelings, and even if they did, it would take a monumental amount of time: time that Naruto didn't have. If Sasuke and Naruto were truly in love with one another, it would take years for them to even _consider_ dealing with it.

Sasuke and Naruto weren't a pair of theatrical, "star-crossed lovers", or some kind of poetic couple who had to overcome the beautiful obstacles of forbidden love. Sasuke and Naruto were raw, and so far lost in each other it was unhealthy. It would be hard, but if they had the time...

Sakura jerked her head up as Sai abruptly stood up and began walking away.

"Where are you going?" She called.

"I need to speak with someone. I'll be back later."

She didn't ask.

(SCENE CHANGE - HOKAGE TOWER)

"Hokage-Sama, I need to speak with you." Announced Kiba as he burst into Tsunade's office. "Something's wrong with Naruto, and we need to-"

"I am aware." She replied flatly. Kiba took this chance to acknowledge that Kurenai, Gai, Neji, Ino, Kakashi, TenTen and Hinata were already in her office. "You're classmates beat you to it." She commented dryly.

"Oh."

"Please, have a seat. I need to speak with all of you anyway." She said as she folded her hands over her mouth. A few minutes passed as they waited for her to enlighten them all on the bizarre behavior of one Uzumaki Naruto.

"You are all aware of the fact that Naruto and Sai abandoned the village two years ago. Obviously they tried to leave the impression that they were dead." She waited for any questions, and proceeded when they never came. "Naruto and Sai both refuse to explain why they left, but I believe it has something to do with the seal that holds the Nine-tailed fox within Naruto."

She felt the tension rise, but continued anyway.

"It would do me no service to lie to you all about anything, so I won't hold anything from you in the hope that you all will handle this as maturely as possible. As many of you may have noticed, Naruto is not well right now."

"How...how bad is it?" Came the voice of Hinata.

"I think he's dying, Hinata." She said flatly. There was no use shielding them.

The atmosphere plummeted into arctic territory. She continued anyway.

"We are not sure yet, but we believe his body is decaying under the pressure of the Nine-tailed fox. We don't know how or why, but it seems as though the Kyuubi is forcing a considerable amount chakra to blend with Naruto's against his will. I'm sure you all may remember the few times where Naruto used the power of the Kyuubi, and how badly it damaged his body. To put it in simpler terms, imagine that power being constantly streamed into his body on a 24/7 basis."

"But the seal was designed to prevent something like that from happening." Neji explained. "That would mean that the seal Yondaime created is-"

"Useless. Yes, because Naruto abused the Kyuubi's power so many times, it has weakened itself into a state of invalidity. Naruto is suppressing the Kyuubi on will-power alone."

The room was quiet.

"A normal human body cannot handle a constant stream of chakra that powerful. It is burning his body from the inside-out."

"What do we do." Came the firm voice of Kakashi. It wasn't a question, but rather a demand.

"If Naruto is to havea chance at life, I need all of you to help me. Have any of you ever heard of a domestic arrest?"

(SCENE CHANGE - HOSPITAL)

He lay there and listened. To the clock, the machines, the sound of his breathing. Anything but his own thoughts.

Sakura had left an hour ago due to an emergency meeting that Tsunade had called for all available shinobi. He knew what it was about. He didn't care.

He was mortified. Sick. Tired. Remorseful.

His knuckles ran white as he clenched the bed sheets beneath himself.

"I ruined it. That's...it." He whispered to himself as his anger rolled around in his mind.

He wouldn't speak to Sasuke anymore. If he wanted to, he would never find him. And if by some miracle Sasuke wanted to talk to him, Naruto would run. He would leave this unresolved and ruined, and then he would pass on shortly after.

He stood up, escaped through the window, and didn't look back. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care.

No matter where he went, he would still be lost.

(SCENE CHANGE - SAI AND SHIKAMARU)

"Are we all in agreement that this is a good idea?" Tsunade asked the room of now-determined Jounin and their respective senseis.

She had spent the last hour explaining to them what would happen the night after. She patiently waded through their questions and answered all of them to the best of her ability. She assigned every one of them a part in the domestic arrest of Sai and Uzumaki Naruto, and they were all in good understanding of what they were supposed to do.

That time tomorrow, Sai and Naruto would be ambushed into a domestic arrest using the talents of their entire generation, a fleet of ANBU and the participation of every available shinobi across the village. She swore them to secrecy, and when the issue of Uchiha Sasuke's participation came up (seeing as he was temporarily serving as an ANBU captain) she explained that Sasuke's part would happen later, and they were to keep it absolutely confidential from him. They understood that it was probably for different reasons.

As the night ended, they were all vastly determined to follow through with this plan. Tsunade hoped they would end up having a reason to be.

(SCENE CHANGE - SAI)

Sai felt his fingers turning numb as he made his way to the Hokage tower. He nimbly jumped from roof to roof through the arctic night; his thoughts being motivated by his new resolve. He skidded to a halt in front of the Hokage tower.

As he checked his thoughts to make absolutely sure this was what he wanted to do, he remembered a quote he had read from the book on emotions that Sakura had given him so long ago.

The quote was written under a chapter entitled "Grief", and the author was attempting to explain how to appropriately express concern for your fellow man if he found himself in a place of sadness and sorrow.

_"Time heals all wounds_" it had said.

Sai was better than he used to be with emotions, but he still didn't have enough experience to know how to react in a situation that pitted loyalty against life.

_"Forgive me, Naruto, but this is all that I know to do." _He thought to himself as he turned the handle of the door and proceeded inside.

Long ago he had promised Naruto that he would never tell anyone about the Kyuubi. At one time, he was naiive enough to believe that nothing could ever trump a promise. A promise was supposed to be one of the most concrete, unconquerable things in existence: something that would always be considered an "ultimate good."

But now, the lines between what was considered the "right" thing to do and what was considered the "wrong" thing were blurring almost beyond recognition, and Sai didn't feel comfortable with defining them himself. All he knew was that a promise didn't mean as much to him as Naruto did.

In the end, Naruto would be mad. Livid, probably, but he didn't care. He had to start following his own instincts on right vs wrong, because there was no book that could possibly cover every situation on the planet, and he was in one of those situations: He could keep his promise to Naruto and let him die without a fighting chance, or he could break the promise and hope that someone could give Naruto a fighting chance at life. A fighting chance at Sasuke.

Sai turned one hallway and found himself in front of a large door. He saw a few dark shadows moving underneath the door that indicated that somebody was there. Next to the door a brass plaque read: "Library L5 - Confidential"

He opened the door and stepped into the warm light of Konoha's most-confidential library and observed the expressionless face of Shikamaru Nara who had glanced up from his work. He had books, manuscripts, notes and scrolls piled all around him. They were all related to seals and the Nine-tailed fox.

"I think...I think I can help you." Sai commented carefully through labored breaths. He watched as a small smile spread across Shikamaru's face.

"I knew you would."

(SCENE CHANGE - NARUTO)

Naruto just ran. He wasn't going toward anything, and he wasn't running from anything. His lungs ached at the over-exposure to the freezing air, and his fingers almost burned from the wind-chill.

He winced as a small brach of leaves whipped him across the face, but he kept running. For the first time in his life, he truly wanted to be away from anyone. He didn't want to see, hear, feel or think about anyone.

He noticed the slight tremor that still shook his hands, and mentally concluded that it probably wouldn't go away this time.

He had been darting through the black forest for twenty minutes when he came upon a small clearing. He stepped out from behind the leafy veil of branches, and into a small meadow with an even smaller lake. He hoped no one was here.

He had overheard Sakura explaining to an inquiring ANBU that she had not seen Sasuke in a few hours. There were reports curculating that he had left the village, and would be set-back a few months on his probation if he weren't found. If he didn't return within twenty-four hours, he would be declared a missing-nin again after two years of battling that title: and Naruto knew why, how and whose fault it would be.

Naruto knelt down next to the bank and splashed some of the arctic water on his face. He peered at his reflection in the rolling water: he looked tired, his eyes were blood-shot and his skin was a sickly, white-yellow color. His hands shook, his lungs burned and every joint, bone and muscle in his body ached.

"Fuck." His voice cracked as he said it. Did he sound as broken as he looked?

_"I have three days." _He frowned.

One day ago, he was ok with death. One day ago, he was also ok with where he was in life. He had made amends, Sakura would be taken care of. Sai would be fine. He and Sasuke had _finally_ fixed themselves. But now...

He stopped there. Now, nothing seemed as good as he had tried to make himself believe. The amends wouldn't last when they all found out he was a lying coward. Sakura was already a nervous wreck, and she would eventually become bitter. Sai would never be allowed to return. He would be rogue for the rest of his life. The village would erase his name from the records and label him a let-down. He would become a dissappointment to anyone who was ever exposed to the god-awful truth about his last three years. And Sasuke. Oh god, Sasuke...

Naruto felt his hands clench the muddy bank as he bit his tongue subconsciously.

_"I've been so stupid. I...I am____scared. I __**don't **__know where I'm going. I'm __**not **__ready. I can't do this alone, I __**have **__messed everything up. This isn't 'right', or- or 'good' or 'ok'. I'm not ok." _He felt the beginnings of panic.

"I'm _**not**_ ok!" He called to the sky. A few birds darted away at the abrupt noise as his voice echoed across the small clearing. He sunk to his knees.

"I'm not ok..." His voice cracked. If he weren't so prideful, he would have admit that the warm trails of water streaming down his cheeks were tears.

"I'm just not." He spoke quietely.

His thoughts still stung, his body still hurt, and the tears still streamed; and for the first time in his life, Naruto allowed himself to cry. He allowed himself to acknowledge that things weren't that great right now.

They weren't tears built on high emotion or theatrics. They weren't dramatic or beautiful or poetic. They were numb, and irrevocably remorseful.

After a few minutes, he got up off his knees and brushed himself off. He turned to leave when he was suddenly rendered immobile by the next thing he saw.

Sasuke.

He was standing on the edge of the woods; his arms folded and his eyes distant; indicating that he probably would have rather been standing in hell than on a bank in front of his eternal rival and best friend. Naruto, knowing that this was the _last_ thing on the planet he could deal with, turned to leave the other way when Sasuke spoke up.

"Wait."

Naruto froze. He stopped when he felt Sasuker moving towards him. It almost made Naruto angry. He had spent the last few hours berating himself for what they had done, and Sasuke still had the control and perfect ignorance to approach him in confidence. Naruto didn't turn around, but spoke up darkly.

"I really can't talk to you right now."

"I don't care."

Naruto's fists clenched tightly as he struggled not to beat the piss out of the man behind him.

"We need to talk." Sasuke remarked flatly.

"I already told you I don't-"

"I don't give a shit how you feel, Naruto."

"How can you even-" Naruto tried through gritted teeth before completely rounding on the Uchiha. "How can you even stand to _**look**_ at me right now? How are you ok with this?" Naruto remarked murderously. He noticed Sasuke flinch, as if he himself couldn't stand to think about it.

"I'm _not_ ok with it." He replied darkly. "But that's not why I'm here."

Naruto faltered, and sent Sasuke a look of complete disbelief. How easily could Sasuke just forget about things that he didn't like?

"I don't have time for this." Naruto remarked angrily as he began to walk away. Before his third step, however, Sasuke appeared in front of him in a flash. His face indicated that he was about to lose his cool.

"_Stop_." He ordered darkly.

"Fucking _make_ me, Sasuke." Came the reply.

Naruto completely anticipated the fist that flew toward his head. He flipped backwards and prepared himself to fight Sasuke for all he was worth.

"Tell me why you left the village." Sasuke demanded as he dodged a kick from Naruto.

"Beat me, and maybe I will." He lied. He figured that Sasuke didn't like this response judging by the painful kick to the side Sasuke sent him.

"I'm not going to play this fucking game with you anymore, Naruto." His voice was elevating by the second. "Tell me what's wrong with you."

Naruto let out a short laugh as he dodged a hard punch to his head.

"Who says there's anything wrong with me, bastard? Maybe I left this village just to get away for a while. Does it always have to be something so damn _serious _with you?"

Naruto's breath hitched as Sasuke found an open spot and shoved him hard into a tree. His back scraped against the cold bark as Sasuke peered at him murderously.

"I know you're going to leave again, and when you do, I will break every damn bone in your body until you tell me the truth."

Naruto froze. That was his line. Years ago, he had said the same thing to Sasuke, and now the bastard was using it against him. Naruto felt the fury rising in him, and he began to laugh. Sasuke faltered as Naruto's laughter became louder and louder.

"Well this is just cruel irony, isn't it Sasuke? Do yourself a favor and spare yourself the pain of following something you can't change. I learned the hard way."

Naruto grinned as he saw Sasuke's teeth clench. He grinned even wider when Sasuke punched him across the face.

"You followed me every waking moment for three damn years. Don't think for one second you'll be spared that level of misery." Sasuke growled lowly.

Suddenly, it wasn't so funny anymore. The smile fell off of Naruto's face as the bitter feeling of anger rose in his chest. For the trillionth time in his life, Sasuke was being so ridiculously unfair and irrational. The rules applied to every one else but him. Always the one to justify screwing every one over, yet the only one who wouldn't tolerate it against him. Naruto's teeth clenched as he flipped the tables on Sasuke.

"Even if I do tell you what's wrong, _**nothing**_ will change what we did." Naruto remarked so darkly it sounded sinister. Sasuke flinched again, and the earth stood still.

"**Don't** bring it up. "

"We fucking _kissed_, Sasuke."

"Stop."

"I wanted you so badly I couldn't _think_ straight."

_"Stop."_

"...and you felt the same about me."

Naruto ducked as Sasuke's fist collided with the tree, sending splinters of wood into Naruto's hair. A few seconds passed as both boys stood in complete silence; the only sound being the labored breathing of Sasuke.

"Just accept it, Sasuke. We won't stop feeling that way. We won't recover from this. Ever." Naruto remarked flatly. There was nothing left but to be honest. He needed to turn Sasuke off from him. Sasuke needed to let him go, for both of their sakes. If Sasuke ended up dead or rogue because of him, he would never forgive himself.

"Then we'll figure it out later." Came the strained reply from Sasuke. Naruto faltered.

"What?" He asked in disbelief; noticing their closeness. The last they were this close, it had led to something much different.

"I don't care how _you_ feel about us, or whatever the fuck we are now. That's not what this is about. This is about you leaving behind an entire _village_ for the same old masochistic shit you do. I left this village because I _wanted_ to. You're leaving because you think you _need_ to. I'm not going to let you screw every one over again unless it's a for a damn good reason."

"You unbelievable bastard." Naruto whispered as he shoved Sasuke away. "You selfish, hypocritical, self-absorbed piece of- I really hope your brother got a good taste of this side of you before you killed him! Even _he_ was probably shocked at how you ended up being ten-times the monster that he ever wanted you to be!

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. He had gone further than he had any right too. This fight had been between he and Sasuke, and bringing Itachi into it was beyond humane. This was verbal crucifixion now.

Sasuke could only stare at him in wide-eyed fury as Naruto immediately felt like the worst possible person on the planet. Under the severe pressure of the regret, Naruto turned and bolted as fast as he could into the woods. He didn't look back, and Sasuke wasn't following.

Two hours later, he collapsed in exhaustion.

(END CHAPTER)

Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update! If there are any questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me!

I went back and re-read this entire story, and I noticed that my writing style has kind of changed. I also noticed that there are a considerable amount of spelling/grammatical errors, and I just want to take this time to apologize for them. I don't have Microsoft Word or any of the good writing programs, and the program I am using doesn't have spell-check or anything like that, so I severely apologize for any errors. I try to re-read every chapter before I put it up, but every chapter I've ever posted has been submitted late at night when my ability to catch errors is terrible. I'm sorry! *CRIES*

Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! Bye for now! - DaisyTango :D


	17. Cruel Irony: Chapter 17 Time Bomb

**Previously:**

_"You unbelievable bastard." Naruto whispered as he shoved Sasuke away. "You selfish, hypocritical, self-absorbed piece of- I really hope your brother got a good taste of this side of you before you killed him! Even __**he **__was probably shocked at how you ended up being ten-times the monster that he ever wanted you to be!_

_Sasuke could only stare at him in wide-eyed fury as Naruto immediately felt like the worst possible person on the planet. Under the severe pressure of the regret, Naruto turned and bolted as fast as he could into the woods. He didn't look back, and Sasuke wasn't following._

_Two hours later, he collapsed in exhaustion_

**Present: Sai and Shikamaru**

"So you said Naruto has been having this problem for at least two years?" Shikamaru asked as he studied an old scroll.

"At least. He started losing control two years ago, which is why he left in the first place. He didn't start showing physical symptoms until this past year." Sai explained as he reached for a book high up on a shelf.

They were both exhausted as the books, dust and scrolls piled all around them. It was now 4:00 in the morning, and Sai had spent the last four hours telling Shikamaru everything he knew, observed and theorized about Naruto's relationship with the Kyuubi. Shikamaru was an intense studier and asked unconventional questions, which indicated to Sai that this was something he was taking seriously.

They had studied the history of Jinchuuriki, in addition to numerous scrolls and books that attempted to explain the infrastructure of sealing techniques. As much as they theorized and read between the lines of the research, they couldn't find any safe way of re-drawing the seal. Everything demanded that the Kyuubi would have to have temporary freedom in order for a new seal to replace the other one. A few seconds was all it would take for it to completely over-take Naruto, and Naruto would be too unconscious to stop it.

"Has he ever been able to communicate with the Nine-tailed fox?" Shikamaru asked.

"He has before, but it's never intentional. He did mention once that he discovered the reason he was dying was because he stopped using the demon chakra several years ago."

"And the fox is mad about it." Shikamaru remarked in frustration. Sai observed as the genius stood up, folded his arms and began pacing the room. "There's got to be some way to suppress a demon without the use of a seal. . ." He commented to himself.

Sai traced his finger along another section of books and spoke his next words carefully:

"It was also implied that Naruto would be killed in five days. That was three days ago."

Shikamaru stopped and cast Sai a suprised glance.

"So we have time working against us in this as well?" It was a rhetorical question. "Damn."

"..."

With a renewed sense of urgency, Shikamaru sat back down and began to study the same book he had been reading for the past hour. He scanned the book intensely, hoping that he would discover some small detail that he had missed, or a revelation that would bring about some kind of solution to the problem.

When it didn't come, Sai frowned and moved to the next wall of books.

(SCENE CHANGE)

Cold.

That's all Naruto could feel as he lay completely frozen on the ground. He was too cold to open his eyes, but he felt the frosted grass and dirt sticking into his skin. His lips were chapped and he couldn't feel his fingers.

He carefully opened one eye and observed the sunlight rising over the trees. A thin layer of fog hovered closely to the ground, and Naruto winced as the harsh light bounced off of his eyes.

He had no idea where he was. By now he was used to collapsing and waking up in unfamiliar places, but this time it felt different. He shakily forced himself into a sitting position as his bones creaked under the bitter cold. He shook the ice crystals out of his hair, and observed his new surroundings.

He appeared to be in a garden of sorts, but it was slightly over-grown, as if it didn't receive a lot of attention. As he tried to categorize his thoughts, however, he suddenly felt sick as he remembered why he was probably here.

The night before, he had used Itachi against Sasuke. He remembered the bits and pieces of his conversation with Sasuke, but the only part he could remember was how it ended. It didn't matter how angry or how justified he felt in telling Sasuke off. It didn't even matter if Sasuke deserved it or not. What he did was completely unprompted. It was cruel.

Naruto stood shakily to his feet and saw a dried splash of blood against the bottom corner of his shirt. He didn't know where it came from, but imagined it didn't matter too much.

_"I'm such a bastard." _He thought as he replayed their conversation in his head. He didn't know if Sasuke was more shocked, hurt or angry by what he said, simply because he was too ashamed to stick around and find out. It was the first time in his life that Sasuke was struck speechless by something he said.

_"Today's the day." _Naruto thought numbly as he mentally acknowledged that today was the day he and Sai were going to leave. It had something to do with a domestic arrest, but he was too groggy and too exhausted to think about it.

As he moved through the remnants of the garden, he stopped abruptly when he saw a few large gray stones throught the trees up ahead. He approached them, and saw that it was a graveyard.

"_Why have I never seen this place?" _He thought as he traced his finger over the cold stone of a random grave.

As he moved through the rows, he tried to read the names, but most of them were fading. He somewhat frowned when he saw a gravestone so faded that the writing was completely gone.

_"I should be so lucky." _He somewhat morbidly laughed to himself. He would be lucky if his body were thrown in a ditch when it was discovered. The person in this grave would never be known beyond the generation he lived in. Naruto probably wouldn't either.

He took this opportunity to sit on an old bench that was placed in the middle of the graves. It was probably where people came to pray for the souls of their loved ones.

"I would have been a shitty Hokage, anyway." He remarked to himself through a fake laugh. "I destroy everything I touch."

"So stupid." He said through a laugh. "_I actually thought that this whole thing was 'divine intervention' or something. That some 'god' out there was giving me a chance to make things right. What a joke."_ This time, the smile fell.

In many ways, it was like his time spent in Konoha had never happened. The rest of the village _still_ didn't know why he had left, Sakura was _still_ just a distraught mess, Tsunade was _still_ vainly hopeful, Sai was _still_ doomed to a life of running, and Sasuke _still_ resented him beyond all human capacity. He and Sasuke had had a few days of redemption, and it was torn away in one fell swoop all because they lost control.

_"That's me, isn't it? Just one, ever-lasting failure to keep control." _It sounded as bitter as it felt_. "Sai will meet up with me, we'll leave, and maybe this chaos will end_." He commented, trying to distract himself.

He allowed himself to sink into a few moments of sobriety as a gentle breeze came by. As he thought, however, his eye caught the movement of a small orange flower that had rolled next to his foot. Upon closer observation, he realized that he recognized it.

_"This is the type of flower Sasuke bought."_

He carefully picked the flower up off the ground and held it between his thumb and pointer-finger. With perked interest, he stood up and began retracing the path that the flower had blown in from.

After a minute of walking through the graveyard, he came upon a big grave that had a large boquet of the orange flowers sitting in front of it. He walked toward the grave in morbid curiocity until he saw the Uchiha Crest etched into the side.

He stopped.

_"This must be Itachi's memorial."_ He thought as he carefully approached the grave. It looked newer than the others, yet so much more ancient. Naruto thought the atmosphere suddenly seemed heavier, but he concluded that it was probably the situation surrounding the grave.

This grave represented a lot of the frustration in Naruto's life, and all of the anguish in Sasuke's. This grave was everything Sasuke wanted, lived for, strived for, breathed for and desired. Everything Sasuke had worked for was represented by this cold piece of stone. Naruto wondered if Sasuke considered it all worth it in the end.

Itachi was a great shinobi, and no matter how wicked his life had been or not, Naruto was always taught that great shinobi deserved to be honored. He would honor this grave for Sasuke's sake by leaving it in peace. This wasn't something Sasuke would have wanted anybody to see.

As he turned to leave the grave, however, Naruto heard the scraping sound of the wind blowing a few of the dead leaves off of the grave. He sent the grave a quick glance, but stopped when he swore he saw the letter "k" etched into a now-cleared section of the grave.

_"Itachi's name wouldn't have the letter k in it..." _He thought as he bent down. As he brushed the remaining leaves away, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

Naruto blanched at the name that was clearly written on the gravestone:

_Uzumaki Naruto_

His breath hitched and he lightly ran his fingers across his own name.

_"This...this can't be right. Sasuke wouldn't...he wouldn't have..."_

He numbly traced the lettering of his own name and the Uchiha symbol that had been etched underneath it. The orange flowers, his name - it all made sense. Sasuke had constructed this memorial for him.

It was now as Naruto observed the area, that he realized that most of the graves surrounding this one all had the Uchiha symbol etched into them. Even though they were faded and old, Naruto knew in this moment that this wasn't a generic graveyard. He was in a private cemetary that was exclusive to the Uchiha clan: and Sasuke had apparently built a memorial to him inside it. Sasuke would have been the only one who would have the authority to construct a grave here.

_"He knew I wasn't dead, though. Sakura said..."_ But it didn't matter what Sakura had said. The grave itself was tangible proof. Outsiders being buried with prestigious clan members was considered a high honor.

Naruto felt his spirit drop into a new level of confusion. In perspective, his behavior now suddenly didn't seem so noble. If leaving your home, lying to every one about it, and dying two days later was considered"honorable", Naruto acknowledged that maybe being "honorable" wasn't all that mattered in all of this. He would have considered this behavior unforgivable if anybody had done the same to him.

He saw Jiraiya and his mom and dad scolding him for being like this.

_"Am I doing the right thing, dad?"_ He thought as he acknowledged that Jiraiya and his parents were perfect examples for what an honorable sacrifice was. _"This isn't the right thing, is it?" _He thought, suddenly feeling the frustration rising within him. He saw his father, the Yondaime Hokage, staring at him in disappointment.

He heard all of the voices:

_"...whatever this is, its responsible for you leaving three years ago, and it's the reason you're leaving now!"_

_"I don't understand what you're trying to do, Naruto!"_

_"But you know, Naruto, the worst part about being lied to is knowing you're not worth the truth."_

_"...staging your death and abandoning everyone you ever cared for looks a little heartless!"_

_"...I'm not going to let you screw every one over again unless it's a for a damn good reason."_

_"Just tell us, Naruto. Please."_

_"I guess it just means that you have to decide if anyone in your life is worth the truth."_

_The truth, Naruto._

_Truth. _

"Dammit!" Naruto yelled as his knuckles slammed into a tree. A few leaves rained down around him from the harsh strike as he sunk to his knees.

"They're all worth the fucking _truth! _They all _deserve_ to know..." Came the cracked and broken reply.

He would rather die than tell anyone the truth, but he now realized that it didn't really matter what he thought anymore. If anyone had done the same to him, he would have never forgiven them. He needed to tell someone what was wrong, and then leave quickly. He would die, yes - but at least no one would feel cheated in the end. There would be something admirable he could leave behind. Not a lie, but an explanation.

It was now that Naruto sprung to his feet, and, with a renewed sense of urgency, sprinted off to Konoha to tell someone; _anyone_ that was important to him the whole truth. They would be his last redemption, so that when he left, they would explain everything.

Knowing that he and Sai were to be ambushed soon and would assume their plan to escape, Naruto burst through the forest and retraced his steps back to the village with only one motivation:

Tell the truth.

(SCENE CHANGE - SAI AND SHIKAMARU - 11:00 AM)

"It says here that for this particular technique to work, the seal would have to be re-drawn by the subject's original sealer." Sai commented as he flipped through the pages of a large book.

"That's no good. Naruto's original seal was drawn by the Yondaime Hokage. He died years ago." Came the reply.

Shikamaru and Sai were deep in thought and had spent the entire night and morning researching everything they could find. Tsunade had informed Shikamaru that if he failed to find any solution by that afternoon, then he was ordered to stop his research and join in with the rest of the Shinobi in enacting the domestic arrest.

Sai was not at all surprised to learn that Shikamaru had already suspected that he was aware of the arrest, but both boys had silently declared themselves on neutral ground for the time-being. They knew that they were working towards something much larger than an arrest, but if they didn't find a solution to this problem by that afternoon, all allegiances would be lost and they would become enemies by that night.

"We have to be missing something. We're not thinking out-side of the box." Shikamaru commented as he paced back and forth. "There has to be another way to go about all of this."

Sai was barely listening as he struggled to reach for a book on the highest shelf in the library.

"Maybe we need to find a loop-hole." Sai commented as he fondled for the book he was trying to reach. Much to his dismay, however, he suddenly blanched when his knee slipped off of the shelf below him, knocking himself and all of the books and scrolls to the floor.

"You ok?" Shikamaru called casually as Sai coughed through the now-unsettled dust.

"Hai." Came the reply as he pulled himself to his feet and began picking up the scrambled books.

As he began organizing the fallen books, however, Sai noted one particular book that had landed open to a certain page. He picked it up and half-heartedly read it's headliner.

"Uchiha Madara and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox - Part 1"

With his interest perked, Sai held his thumb in the crease of that chapter and flipped the book to assess it's cover.

"Uchiha Madara: Biography"

"_Uchiha." _He thought to himself_. "A relation to Sasuke." _

He had heard of Madara Uchiha before. Every one had. Madara had been considered one of the most powerful and ruthless shinobi in existence, but it wasn't something he had ever given a lot of thought. In morbid curiocity, Sai flipped back to the page he was holding and began reading:

"Although many acknowledge that Uchiha Madara was powerful beyond human capacity, few people truly understand the full extent of his power until they understand his involvement with the most powerful of the demonic legion, the Nine-Tailed Fox. During the reign of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, Uchiha Madara had acquired enough control of the fox to assume victory over Hashirama himself at the location that is now dubbed The Valley of the End. As previously stated, acquiring control over something as powerful as the Nine-Tailed Fox could not be gained by normal methods, which indicates that Uchiha Madara was only able to garner control through the use of the Uchiha blood-line trait, the Sharingan. It is not known the exact way in which Madara was able to tame the demon; however, it is speculated that the Sharingan provided him with exclusive communication with the demon, in addition to the power to suppress the chakra of the fox. Although there are many theories as to how he initially suppressed the fox, there are rumors that Uchiha Madara's Sharingan sparked nothing more than fear in the demon, which gave him the means to fully control the beast. In conclusion, it is noted that Uchiha Madara was and is the only man in existence to have garnered control of the demons without being a host, and he did so by utilizing the Uchiha blood-line trait, the Sharingan."

Sai closed the book as the thoughts raced in his head and bounced off of each other. Madara Uchiha had supposedly been able to gain control of the Fox by using the Sharingan.

"Shikamaru-san?"

"Yes?" Came the reply.

"I think I may have found something."

(SCENE CHANGE - NARUTO)

Naruto smacked the branches away from his face as he clambered through the last stretch of forest. Bouncing off of the tree trunks in fluid concentration, he debated on the person he would choose to tell the truth to. As far as he was knew, it was still unknown that he and Sai were aware of the domestic arrest. He wouldn't reveal every explicit detail about his situation, but he would give enough evidence to lead whoever it was to that conclusion.

_"I could tell Kakashi. He could handle it."_ He debated with himself.

He had considered telling Sakura, but she wouldn't have handled it well at all. Even though she knew somewhat of what was going on, she would still feel betrayed. Tsunade had too much power to risk telling. She could have every ANBU on him in three seconds flat, which would screw up he and Sai's plan to escape. If any body could keep an open-mind, it would be Kakashi. He seemed to be the best person to involve the least amount of emotion, and he was the only one who understood that Naruto was doing this for a good reason. The only other person he could think of was Sasuke, and he visibly cringed at the thought...

"_If anything, I need to apologize to Sasuke. He'll probably chidori my ass to the moon, but I need to try..." _Naruto thought. _"I guess I'll do that first."_ He resolved as he burst through the last stretch of trees and into the harsh sunlight.

He would have to tread lightly, but he needed for Sasuke to know that he was sorry: that he wasn't a _complete_ asshole. With his plan set in motion, he concentrated his energy into picking up Sasuke's chakra trail.

Time was ticking.

(SCENE CHANGE - SAI AND SHIKAMARU - 11:00 AM)

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked as he appeared next to Sai and scanned the page he had just read.

"This is a biography on Uchiha Madara. It says here that he is the only person in existence who was able to control the Kyuubi, and he did so by using the power of the Sharingan." Sai explained.

"Sai, his power was _ungodly_. We don't have anyone with his level of power that's living today."

"I know. But it says here that even though he used his sheer power to _control_ the demon, many people theorized that he used _fear _to _suppress_ him."

"And?"

"Fear is an illusion. Illusions can be created by utilizing genjutsu. The Uchiha clan was _feared_ for their unrivaled skill in genjutsu because of the Sharingan."

"So you're saying all we need to do is have someone pretend to be Madara Uchiha by using genjutsu? He is the _Kyuubi no Kitsune, _Sai. It would take an amazing level of genjutsu to convince him that he was dealing with Uchiha Madara again. Not only that, but we have no one who could communicate with him to do it."

"We don't have Uchiha Madara, but we do have the next closest thing."

". . .?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

(SCENE CHANGE - NARUTO - 11:30 AM)

_"Found it."_ Naruto thought to himself as he finally pin-pointed Sasuke's chakra trail. After nearly two hours of searching, he had finally caught an inkling of Sasuke's whereabouts.

He was able to measure the general location of the chakra trail, and concluded that Sasuke was currently somewhere near the West side of Konoha's perameters.

_"I'll do this fast and hope he understands." _Naruto remarked as he shoved himself off of a roof and on to the next one.

There would be no mention of the kiss, the touching, or anything that currently plagued their relationship. Now was the time to focus on things that would _last_: the feeling he got from kissing Sasuke probably wouldn't last forever; but the feeling of regret over using Itachi against him would last. Even if he only had to experience it for two more days, it was two more days than he wanted to have to feel it.

He felt his hair flying wildly around his face as he dropped on to the street below him and burst forward down the street. He was least familiar with this side of Konoha, as it had always served as the place where respected clans and their businesses were located.

_"It ends just about..." _Naruto remarked in concentration as he darted down the street to his left. He could feel the trail getting stronger. Naruto vaguely heard the angry retort of a woman calling after him as he brushed past her, but hoped she would understand that he was in a hurry.

"...here." He remarked out-loud as he skidded to a halt in front of a gated building. His spirit dropped, however, when he realized exactly what this building was. He was in front of the Uchiha Complex.

Naruto wondered now if he should turn back and find Sasuke at another time, because the Uchiha Complex was essentially forbidden territory. Apparently Sasuke had moved back in, but Naruto could feel the tense atmosphere that shrouded the complex. It was a mixture of crippling fear, mystery, remorse and the most uninhibited sense of gloom Naruto had ever cared to feel.

He carefully pushed open the gate and walked along the pathway until he reached the front porch. The creaks in the stairs seemed to amplify tenfold as he stepped up them.

As he carefully slid the door open, Naruto could feel the deafening silence ring in his ears as he stepped into the barren room.

_"How can Sasuke stand this?" _Naruto thought as he lightly brushed his hand along the dry walls.

He stepped forward and made his way down the many corridors, glancing into the empty rooms in the hope of finding Sasuke in one of them. Knowing how fragile and offensive his intrusion was in this place, he focused on the fact that he needed to find Sasuke and he needed to find him immediately.

Turning down another long hallway, Naruto glanced into the passing rooms again until he came upon a room that had the door shut. Placing his fingertips lightly against the door, he pressed his ear to the surface to see if he could hear anything on the other side.

Before he could continue, however, he was suddenly jerked into alertness as the sound of splintering wood sounded on the other side of the door. Flipping backwards, Naruto dodged the five kunai knives that tore through the door and lodged into the wall behind him.

"Why are you here, Naruto?" Sasuke asked darkly as he slid open the now-punctured door.

It was now that Naruto knew just how intense this situation would be.

(END CHAPTER)

Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter! If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask and I'll definitely try to repsond.

I mentioned in the last chapter that I noticed how much my writing style has changed since I posted this story so many months ago. Well, I wrote about it in the first chapter, but I'm going to go back and "revise" a lot of the beginning chapters of this story. I won't change the plot, but I am going to write them in a more polished, believable way so that they match the quality and plot of the last few chapters I've written.

Anyways, rate/review and I'll give you a thousand internets! Again, thank you so much! I'm fairly close to 100 reviews, which is so ridiculously humbling. I love you guys! :)


	18. Cruel Irony: Chapter 18 Gravity

_"You're neither friend nor foe, though I can't seem to let you go. The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down. You're on to me, all over me, and something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long." - Gravity, Sara Bareilles_

**PREVIOUSLY:**

_Naruto was suddenly jerked into alertness as the sound of splintering wood sounded on the other side of the door. Flipping backwards, Naruto dodged the five kunai knives that tore through the door and lodged into the wall beside him._

_"Why are you here, Naruto?" Sasuke asked darkly as he slid open the now-punctured door._

_It was now that Naruto knew just how intense this situation would be_

**CURRENT:**

"What do you want?" Sasuke reiterated angrily as he stepped through the door.

"I need to talk to you."

"You have nothing to say to me." Sasuke remarked flatly as he brushed past Naruto and angrily tore the Kunai knives out of the wall.

"The hell I don't!" Naruto called as he followed after Sasuke.

"Go home Naruto." Came the cold reply.

Before he could respond, Naruto harshly grabbed Sasuke's arm and spun him around to face him. The look in Sasuke's eyes was nothing short of irate, but Naruto had too much at stake to care.

"No. You made me listen to you, so you're going to hear me out whether you like it or not." Naruto remarked dangerously low.

Sasuke, still visibly seething, peered down at him in anger, but didn't attempt to move or speak. Naruto took this as his chance to explain everything.

"I want to apologize for yesterday." He replied flatly; the anger slowly transitioning into child-like guilt. "I had no right to bring Itachi into our shit. That was unfair. That was...not me." He explained, the last part fading out quietly. Naruto noted the anger shift in Sasuke's eyes, only to be replaced by forced apathy.

"Is that all?" Sasuke asked coldly.

"No. Regardless of how your brother lived his life, he was a _good_ shinobi, and _good_ shinobi deserve to be respected. I'm sorry I couldn't see that." Naruto replied flatly. It was momentary, but Naruto noted the absolutely conflicted expression flash across Sasuke's face as he explained that.

Naruto never expected Sasuke to verbally express his forgiveness over anything, but he considered the troubled silence currently coming from Sasuke to be the equivalent. Sasuke at least knew how he felt now, and that's all Naruto needed.

Letting go of his arm, Naruto stepped back and waited for Sasuke to run away. Normally, Sasuke would have bolted from the scene until he found a place that was suited to his level of apathy. But now, awkwardness quickly fell on Naruto as he realized that Sasuke refused to meet his eyes, but also stood firmly in his spot. After a few minutes, Naruto decided it was best to leave.

"...that's all I came here to say. I'll see you later, Sasuke." He commented quietly as he turned to leave. It took on more of a meaning to Naruto, considering he _wouldn't_ see Sasuke later. This would be the last thing he would ever say to the person who had complicated his life for the last six years.

Even though he felt like things were so painfully unfinished, he acknowledged that there weren't any "last words" he could say to Sasuke that would be better than these. No mention of their friendship, past, rivalry or affection could help Sasuke move on more than a positive testament to Uchiha Itachi.

Even though Sasuke had been filled to the brim with pain, animosity and confusion over his estranged brother, Itachi had once loved Sasuke and had been a great shinobi. Under all of the hurt, Sasuke knew it, and Naruto thought it might do Sasuke good to hear somebody else acknowledge it as well.

"He lied to me." Sasuke called to him darkly.

Naruto abruptly stopped and turned around.

"Who?"

"Itachi. He lied to me my entire life."

Naruto sent Sasuke a confused expression. This was certainly unexpected, considering Sasuke _never_ willingly mentioned Itachi in anything.

"How?" Naruto tried carefully. He watched in morbid curiosity as Sasuke glanced away; his eyes falling into shadow as his knuckles ran white.

"He was being used by our clan to spy on Konoha. Unfortunately, he loved this village too much to work against it, so instead he became a double-agent by working as a spy for the Uchiha clan and Konoha. When rumor started that the Uchiha were going to attack Konoha, he informed the council because he knew we would have been powerful enough to weaken the village, which would have given other countries the chance to completely destroy Konoha."

Naruto could only stare at Sasuke in wide-eyed shock as Sasuke further explained:

"In the end, they ordered him to kill the entire clan, and he did, except for one..."

". . ."

"Me." Sasuke spat the word as if it tasted as bitter as it sounded. "He loved me too much to kill me, so instead he encouraged me to hate him so that I would be strong enough to kill him someday for what he did. He even made the Third Hokage swear to protect me, and threatened Danzo if he tried to kill me."

Naruto noted the absolutely sub-arctic temperature that the atmosphere plummeted to as Sasuke explained this, and Naruto's head spun. This revelation about the Uchiha clan, if it were true, changed _everything_.

Naruto was brought from his thoughts as Sasuke visibly tensed, and spoke up darkly:

"He never intended to tell me. That _bastard_ wanted me to spend my entire life hating him, and he just _took_ it. He fucked up his life all for the sake of protecting me and this damn village." Sasuke replied in obvious bitterness.

Naruto had absolutely no idea what to say, and he wasn't sure if anything could be said. If Sasuke's words were true, Itachi was morally one of the greatest people he had ever known. Itachi had always been on the receiving end of so much hate. He was categorized with the rest of the missing-nin, but was spoken-of in more distaste than the others because of his perceived "heartless" behavior.

But now, it seemed that in the end, it had all been selfless devotion to his brother and a village that pitted him against his own family. If it were true, Itachi had performed the ultimate sacrifice by allowing his life to be utterly ruined, and it was all for everybody's sake but his own.

Naruto was jolted from his thoughts as Sasuke abruptly sent his fist through the wall, sending splinters of wood through the air and a shock-wave of echoes down the hallways. Naruto observed in morbid curiosity as Sasuke braced the side of his arm against the wall and hid his face in the shadows. If Sasuke could ever appear vulnerable, Naruto acknowledged that this is probably what it would look like.

"You were right. He was probably shocked by how much I did end up hating him. I never even gave him a fucking _chance_." It sounded plagued.

"Don't even go there, Sasuke." Naruto replied firmly. Sasuke cast him a livid glare.

"I never even _considered_ the possibility that things weren't what they appeared. I should have read between the lines or used my fucking common sense to see how out-of-character he was acting. I had always admired him, and the second he told me to stop, I did." Sasuke's eyes were now swimming with guilt. A few minutes passed as Sasuke seemed to allow the overwhelming guilt sober his anger.

Sasuke spoke up again, but this time it sounded mild and almost remorseful.

"That's why I came back. I don't want to be here, but Itachi wanted it for me."

Realization fell over Naruto as he finally found-out why Sasuke had returned. It wasn't because his goals were complete, or because he wanted to start a new chapter in life. It was out of sheer, forced loyalty to the only person that had been able to lie to Sasuke and get away with it. It was the last and only thing that Sasuke could give to Itachi, and in many ways, it held the same depth as an apology.

"Sasuke, you-" Naruto tried, stopping abruptly. "I don't know what to say. Hell, I don't even know if I _believe_ any of that." Sasuke didn't react to that implication, but Naruto realized that there was probably a small fraction of Sasuke that didn't believe it either. Didn't _want_ to believe it. Awkwardly, Naruto spoke up again: "But...if it is true, Itachi wasn't naive. He wouldn't have been surprised by how you treated him. That was how he _wanted _you to treat him, because it meant things were working."

Sasuke didn't reply as he continued to stare forlornly at the ground. A few minutes passed as Naruto waited for any kind of response. When it never came, he quietly spoke up:

"No one can ever make this situation feel 'right' to you. That's reality, and it _really_ fucking sucks sometimes." Naruto explained. "But if you ever think that what he did was in vain, all you have to do is look around. If you _had_ figured out the truth, none of us...none of this would be here. Itachi took the high road. Most people never have the balls to do that."

Naruto watched as Sasuke's fists clenched against the wall, then fall limply to his side. After what seemed a small eternity, Sasuke slightly cocked his head towards Naruto.

"...even so, I never want to see another person in my life carry that huge of a burden unless they let me know about it first." Sasuke replied as he now looked fully into Naruto's face. "That's why I need to know what's wrong with you, Naruto. If you're pulling the same kind of stunt that Itachi did, I will _never_ forgive you if something happens. I will never forgive _myself_ if I allow it to happen again."

Naruto now felt a barrage of emotion pass through his body. This level of raw honesty from Sasuke made Naruto realize just how seriously Sasuke was taking this. Every one wanted to know the truth, but it was now that Naruto realized how badly Sasuke _needed_ the truth. After all of the guilt he had been through over Itachi, Sasuke's worry stemmed from the overwhelming fear that another Itachi could possibly happen again.

At this realization, Naruto felt like denying Sasuke the truth would be the cruelest thing he could possibly do. He didn't _owe_ Sasuke this explanation, so why did he feel like he did?

". . .if I tell you, do you promise you'll let it go, regardless of what I say?" Naruto asked carefully.

"No." It was an unshakable reply.

"Then I can't. I won't." He replied in frustration. He should have completely expected that.

Naruto felt the burst of air flash around him as Sasuke held a kunai to his neck.

"That's not good enough. I told you why I came back. You owe me the same honesty."

Thoughts raced through Naruto's mind as he inwardly battled with himself over whether he should tell Sasuke or not. Sasuke wasn't going to let him go easily. He would fight him every second of the way, and would attract the attention of every one to do the same. He and Sai would leave that night, but if Sasuke planned to follow him, did it matter if he knew or not?

"I don't really _owe_ you a damn thing..." Naruto retorted.

"Naruto." Sasuke commented firmly. "If you don't tell me, I'll kill you _myself_."

"For fuck's sake Sasuke, you've _**got**_ to think of a new threat. After three years, that one's getting old."

"Three years ago you were _worth_ killing. I'm not so sure anymore."

It was now that Naruto peered darkly into the Uchiha's eyes.

"Three years ago you weren't whispering my name as you kissed me."

Before anything else could be said, Naruto ducked as Sasuke's fist slammed into the wall above his head. Sasuke cursed as his fist burst through the wall, but tore it out quickly when Naruto sent a kick towards him.

Flipping backwards, Sasuke quickly landed on his feet and charged towards Naruto. The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat for what seemed like a small eternity.

As the boys intensely fought, the beautiful interior of the Uchiha complex began to deconstruct under the harsh fighting. Most of the walls had gaping holes, and there was broken glass and splintered wood littered all over the floors.

"If I thought I could stay here, there is nothing I wouldn't try." Naruto called as he dodged Sasuke's movements. He figured Sasuke must have disliked this answer, because he suddenly felt the breath knocked out of him as his body slammed to the floor.

Before Sasuke could further attack him, he kicked Sasuke's legs out from underneath him, but cringed when Sasuke's body slammed on top of his. He began to see a bruise where Sasuke's elbow had slammed into the side of his hip-bone.

Forcing each other to back down, both boys struggled as they sloppily inhibited each others movements.

In one momentary lapse of control in which Sasuke had cornered him, Naruto winced as Sasuke pinned him on to the floor and ground his wrists into the wall above him. Naruto's breath was coming in short, insufficient gasps and he felt exhausted.

In that moment, when Naruto felt his irregular heart-beat and blinked away the pulsing lights in his eyes, he sent a glare that held the most anger he could possibly convey. He felt the anger and frustration dwindle as he acknowledged that this was all of the fight he could give Sasuke. Two years ago, he would have had the endurance to go light years longer than this. But now, as he felt the pain and exhaustion berating him, he inwardly concluded that this was as far as he would probably be able to go.

Ceasing to struggle any longer, Naruto allowed his body to go limp against Sasuke's grip. Ignoring his confused expression peering down at him, Naruto stared at the ceiling and wished that his last fight with Sasuke could have been greater than whatever this was. In the last few days of his life, he had given Sasuke everything including a _kiss,_ but he couldn't even give him a decent fight. It was was how they started, and how they should have finished. He felt himself begin to laugh.

"But then I think that maybe it's a good thing I'm leaving, because nothing could ever be the same again between us. You and I both know how badly we've fucked our friendship up. If that's even what we're still calling it..." He laughed almost bitterly as he formed pictures in the pattern of Sasuke's ceiling tiles. He caught the heaving of Sasuke's chest, but looked beyond as he willed himself to catch his breath.

After a few seconds, he laughed out loud again, but this time it was more to himself. "I can't even _look_ at you without remembering how good you felt against me. No. We'll never find a balance again."

He felt Sasuke tense above him, but spoke up anyway:

"I don't know what we are, Sasuke, but we're too complicated to ever figure it out now. Let me go now while we have that advantage." Naruto remarked quietly as Sasuke peered down at him.

He felt the heat of Sasuke's breath warm his face as he struggled not to let himself get too lost in this moment. Before he could think any further, Sasuke spoke up in frustration:

"You have _**always**_ pushed me farther than I ever wanted to go, and made me stay there longer than I ever fucking wanted to. I have _**never**_ been able to figure out what we are, Naruto, but it wasn't because we were too complicated."

"Stop, Sasuke." Naruto warned, but nothing could prevent the next words that escaped Sasuke's lips:

"It was because it felt too good to even try."

"Fuck that!" Naruto shouted as he shakily pushed himself up onto one knee. But before he could go any further, he was knocked back down as Sasuke's lips crashed on to his own.

Before he knew it, Sasuke's hands were tearing at him and sliding all over his body. Mindlessly, he twisted his hands into Sasuke's hair and pulled Sasuke down on to him as close as he could possibly go.

Their bodies rolled and moved over each other as they both desperately tore at each other, clinging to every bit of each other that could be felt. Their mouths clashed, and Naruto winced as Sasuke bit and scratched him.

Sasuke hands explored underneath Naruto's shirt and pinched and scratched every available area. Naruto bucked into Sasuke as his cold fingertips crossed over any exposed flesh, and Sasuke moaned as Naruto trailed a finger across the base of his stomach.

It was a battle for dominance as Naruto flipped Sasuke around, and began tearing off the ANBU vest. When he finally managed to tear it off, Naruto straddled Sasuke and began to kiss Sasuke down the entire length of his torso, all while Sasuke twisted his hands into Naruto's hair.

"Shit, Naruto." Sasuke replied breathlessly as Naruto darted his tongue below the hemline of Sasuke's pants. Naruto began to slowly grind on top of Sasuke's lower region, but before he could continue, he felt Sasuke harshly gasp and flip him over on his back. Sasuke crashed on top of him, and began violently attacking his mouth with his own.

"How do you _**do**_ this to me..." Sasuke gasped through the violent kissing as Naruto arched into Sasuke.

"I should ask you the same-Nn!" Naruto tried to reply as Sasuke ground down on him. Remnants of glass and wood cut their skin, but neither boy noticed as they groped each other desperately.

"I _will_ follow you." Sasuke replied as he sucked at the base of Naruto's neck.

"You can try." Naruto whispered as Sasuke bit his bottom lip.

But for now, Naruto put that thought in the back of his mind as Sasuke ground into him, shirtless and sweating. He had wanted this so badly.

Now that he had gotten a small taste, Naruto knew he would always want more of this, and it was now that he concluded that maybe that was the good part about dying. He would remember this, and would only have a short amount of time to want more.

It was cruel irony. There whole relationship was just an endless supply-and-demand of cruel irony. They _were_ a train wreck. They _were_ complicated. They _were_ hard to figure out. They _didn't_ make sense. They _shouldn't_ have worked.

But they did.

Somehow, they had always worked. They didn't need organization, or a label, or a nice way of doing things.

Maybe they would figure themselves out someday, but in that moment, Naruto acknowledged that if they didn't, it was fine. Afterall, Sasuke was right: it felt too good to even try.

(END CHAPTER)

Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter!

As you can see, I dedicated the entire chapter to Sasuke and Naruto, simply because I felt like they needed this level of attention after an entire 16 chapters of pieces "here and there." Is it bad that I turned myself on while writing this? *dies of embarrassment*

If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask me, and as always, thank you guys so much! - DaisyTango :D


	19. Cruel Irony: Chapter 19 Deception

"So...you're saying that Sasuke could function in a similar way that Uchiha Madara did?"

"Theoretically, yes." Sai replied, waiting for a response from the clearly-skeptical Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sent him a curt nod and fell into deep concentration. When a response never came, Sai spoke up again:

"If we utilized the Sharingan in the ways that Madara did, we could potentially suppress the Nine-Tails long enough for a new seal to be re-drawn."

Sai observed Shikamaru's somewhat irritated body language as he fell into the back of his chair and folded his arms.

"Yes, but the dilemma lies in the fact that Sasuke has refused to use the Sharingan for any reason whatsoever."

"Do you know why?" Sai asked, faking surprise.

"No."

It was spoken in frustration, as if Shikamaru had given it a fair bit of thought before. Being a lead strategist in Konoha, it was understandable that Shikamaru would have desired to utilize the Sharingan in battle. However, due to the mysterious reasons behind Sasuke's refusal to use it, Shikamaru had learned to work around it while acknowledging what a waste of talent it was.

It seemed to many people that Sasuke had never been able to balance the evils of the Sharingan, so not many complaints were voiced when he came back refusing to use it or speak about it. Although the Sharingan was arguably the most powerful bloodline in existence, it had never been used to Konoha's advantage because of the unstable family that supported it. In many ways, the people of Konoha were happy to see Sasuke putting it to rest.

"You don't think he would use it, even for Naruto's sake?" Sai ventured.

"I don't know. He's been so adamant about it..." Shikamaru trailed off. "We could always _force_ him to use it." He spoke in obvious distaste. Forcing Sasuke Uchiha to do anything was usually far more troublesome than he typically liked.

"If you don't mind me saying, I think Sasuke would willingly do this if he knew it would help Naruto."

"The Sharingan reminds Sasuke only of Itachi and the Uchiha clan. Historically, Naruto himself has never been enough to supersede those things. Do you really think Sasuke has changed now?"

Sai hated to admit it, but things had changed. He would have _**liked**_ for Naruto to leave the Uchiha behind. He would have _**liked **_for Sasuke to have planted himself in some far away, unknown village where he could writhe in misery and hatred for the rest of his life. He would have _**liked**_ that Sasuke never came back at all.

But he did.

And Sai knew that as long as both Naruto and Sasuke existed, there would never be a semblance of peace between themselves until _they_ defined what it was. They could deny their bond, bitch about, ignore it, abandon it, demoralize it, undermine it, _whatever_; but Sai knew that they would never deny the fact that their bond still utterly _remained_.

"I do." He replied firmly. Shikamaru seemed to fall into deep thought at this declaration.

Naruto had swept Sai up into the madness of his friendship with Sasuke so long ago, that Sai felt he knew every inch of the madness himself. He didn't know _what_ their bond was, but somehow, he knew what it _felt_ like: to see Naruto channel every fiber of his being into some one that seemed so worthless, yet so worth-it at the same time just because of everything Naruto put into saving him.

He had never known the Team Seven bond when it was in it's prime. He had been forced to look at it from a theoretical distance, and Sasuke had always appeared to be just one broken corner of the trinity that unapologetically ruined the shape for everyone. He never understood why people absolutely pined over Sasuke, and he still didn't really understand. But in the few weeks he had been here, Sai had seen a glimpse of what it probably had been like before things went bad, and he felt the irrational need to see more for himself.

Sai was abruptly pulled from his thoughts as Shikamaru swept a few of the papers off of his desk and stood up.

"I guess we have no other choice but to try." He replied, and Sai visibly let the relief wash over him. "As you already know, you two will be arrested today. We need to inform the Hokage of this plan before she initiates anything."

"Hai." Came the reply as Sai straightened himself up in anticipation. He began to feel a small wave of hope and excitement throbbing through his veins at the prospect of giving Naruto his life back. It had seemed so impossible for so long.

"Tsunade-sama didn't want Sasuke to have anything to do with this, but I guess that's unavoidable at this point." Shikamaru commented as he hurriedly placed the heap of books back on the shelf. He sent Sai a half-serious glance: "Do you know what you're going to do? Naruto will not take this without a fight."

"I may have to deceive him a little."

"Yeah, well, he deserves a little taste of his own medicine." Shikamaru scoffed as he wrapped up a scroll and chucked it hastily into a chest. "I can't believe that idiot has lied about this for so long. He would have thrown a fit if anyone had done the same to him..." He trailed off in mild irritation.

Pushing the chairs in and turning off the lights, Shikamaru and Sai left the library in haste. As the click of the door sounded behind him, Sai now resolved in his mind that he would use his own interpretation of ethics in this situation. His and Naruto's bond meant far too much to him to not try whatever he could, even if it meant breaking a promise.

(SCENE CHANGE - 3 HOURS LATER)

Naruto vaguely felt the warm burn of sunlight concentrating on his skin. He dreamily and sleepily tried to characterize the area around himself, and came to the conclusion that he was on a wooden floor. (Which was way better than the rough places he usually found himself in after he collapsed). His fingers twitched, and he felt a small fragment of wood flinch underneath them.

He opened one eye, but winced at the sharp beam of sunlight that hit his eyes. He saw dust drifting through the beams, and felt the sweatiness of his skin sticking to the polished wood floor. He briefly began to wonder where the headache and nausea were until-

_**Bang Bang Bang**_

He shot up at the sound of the knocking, but not before painfully slamming his forehead into the elbow of the figure who had sprung up beside him just as fast.

"Shit!" He commented in disorientation as he grasped his now-aching head. He stumbled to his feet and saw the black hair and porcelain skin moving in front of him. "Sasuke?" He rasped as he tried to focus on the figure moving around the room.

_**Bang Bang Bang**_

_"Sasuke-san? Are you home?" _Came the muffled voice through the wall. Naruto heard Sasuke curse under his breath as he snatched his shirt off the ground.

_**Bang Bang Bang**_

_"Sasuke-san! Are you in there? Hokage-Sama requests your presence immediately. If you do not respond, I will have to enter." _Came the muffled voice again.

And with that threat, Naruto turned and bolted for the window as Sasuke charged for the door. Naruto vaguely caught the unreadable glare that Sasuke sent him before both boys disappeared out of the room in opposite directions.

With the grace of a three-legged donkey, Naruto landed on the surrounding porch outside of the Uchiha complex and waited for both Sasuke and the ANBU's chakra trails to disappear.

When they eventually faded, he turned to close the window until his eye was caught by the near-concrete state of the room. Everything in it seemed to be suspended in time, as if the room could never be used for anything else again. He briefly wondered if Sasuke would ever be able to see anything in this room other than what they had done.

He felt the heat descend on him as he remembered. He bit the swollen lips that Sasuke had kissed. He slid his hand down his stomach and brushed over the bruises and bite marks. He felt Sasuke's hair tangled through his fingers, and he felt his own hands trembling down Sasuke's chest in the attempt to feel as much as he could. They had gone so far, but if only they would've-

_"Stop_."

He ordered to himself as he tore his gaze away from the window and leapt off of the porch. Obviously they had fallen asleep, and now he had to make up for lost time.

He felt the frustration coming to him at the prospect of leaving, but he berated those thoughts to stay back as he concentrated on picking up Sai's chakra trail. As Naruto leapt onto a roof, he saw the last glance Sasuke had sent him. It felt burned into his memory. Haunting, as if Sasuke had been trying to ask or tell him something that could never be heard now.

As he slid off and on the roofs, he spotted Sai's chakra trail located somewhere at the edge of the village. Although there were a few dozen other chakra trails surrounding the area, Naruto could locate Sai's chakra anywhere. He had made himself recognize it while village-hopping. They had often been separated while on the run, so learning each others' chakra was essential.

Naruto felt his body burn with the nervous anxiety of their escape, and the cold wind felt good. Bounding off of the last roof, Naruto plunged on to the ground and into the surrounding woods where Sai's chakra flared the strongest. Smacking the leaves and branches away from his face, he jumped through the branches until he was stalled as a small flash of black and white suddenly darted in front of him.

"Lay low." Sai whispered before dropping to the ground, Naruto following shortly after.

"Do you know where the ANBU are? I sensed a few dozen on the way here." Naruto mumbled lowly.

"I know there are at least seven stretching outside of the village for a two-mile radius. Those are the ones we need to avoid."

"Do you know if th- what _**are**_ you doing?" Naruto asked in annoyance as Sai rolled a scroll across the ground and spread it across the grass. He took out an ink brush and roughly painted a bird on the paper.

"Buying us some time. _Ninpou:Chouji Giga_!" Sai ordered as the bird peeled itself off the page and into the air. "It will scout the area and let me know the location of some of the outside ANBU."

"Right." Naruto remarked quietly as he watched the paper bird fly away. He turned his attention back to Sai. "Are we doing the usual Dual Body Flicker to get out of here?"

"At this point, I think we have to. There are too many people watching us. We will attract more attention with the Dual Body Flicker, but we'll also have a lot more speed. Just do the same thing you did the first time we tried to leave Konoha."

Silence then fell between the two boys at the reality of the situation. This was the beginning of the end. Literally for Naruto, and essentially for Sai. Naruto spoke up carefully:

"Sai, you...you know you really don't have to do this."

"This again?" Sai asked in obvious exasperation as he began putting his brushes away.

"I'm serious, Sai. They already know I'm fucked up, and they know why. But you..." He tried awkwardly. "Your life - everything you want is here. Not with me."

"I've made up my mind, Naruto. To me, this is worth it."

"And Sakura's not?"

Deep silence suddenly fell between the two at that question. They both knew exactly what it had meant.

"It doesn't matter." Sai replied shortly, his lips in a thin line. Naruto bristled.

"The hell it doesn't! You love Sakura and she..." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "She loves _you_. I can tell." The emmanating silence from Sai indicated that Naruto had been completely right in this theory. He spoke up again: "You could get married to her, and - and have a bunch of little brats and grow old and just be so damn _happy_! You will never have that if you do this with me. The next forty-eight hours you spend with me will ruin the next seventy years of your life. Don't make me die with that guilt."

And for the first time in his life, Sai turned around and punched Naruto with as much force and anger as he possibly could. He saw the shocked expression in Naruto's eyes as he peered up at the angry boy.

"What the hell was that for!" Naruto sputtered angrily.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know _**how**_ to love someone. There are hundreds of other villages and hundreds of other opportunities to have a normal life, but there will only ever be one _**you**_. Just _stop_." Sai ordered darkly.

"Sai, I..." But he had no words.

"Do you feel that?" Sai then asked ominously, tearing Naruto out of his thoughts. He concentrated on the surrounding area and felt the dozens of different chakra trails coming at them from all around.

It was time.

"Yeah. They're coming."

"Are you ready?" Sai asked quickly. Naruto laughed sarcastically, then sprawled to his feet.

Standing back to back with Sai, Naruto braced himself in the eerie quiet. It seemed like a thousand years as Naruto felt the chakra trails becoming stronger and stronger. He and Sai had decided days ago that they wouldn't run, but the temptation to bolt littered his thoughts as they prepared themselves for one of the riskiest escapes they had ever tried.

"How will I know when we're ready?" Naruto asked quietly as he slightly cocked his head towards Sai. "Sai?"

"I'll give you a signal." Sai whispered.

Before he could ask what kind of signal would be given, both boys were distracted by the white and black flash that burst through the trees and into the ground across from them.

"Sai and Uzumaki Naruto, you are hereby under domesticated arrest as dictated by the Hokage. If you attempt to leave the premises, hostile action will be mandated."

"Well that's cute." Naruto called to the ANBU with the monkey mask. He noticed a third, fourth and fifth ANBU appear around them, and briefly wondered why they weren't being as aggressive as the last time.

"On what grounds has this arrest been determined upon?" Sai called to the Monkey ANBU. Naruto realized now just how good Sai was at acting.

"You're arrest has been justified by the Elder Council of Konoha due to the purposeful abandonment of Konohagakure two years ago. As such, you will be tried as missing-nin and former citizens of the Village of Konohagakure."

"Hah. You can try and make-" But before Naruto could finish, he was interrupted by a new voice.

"Listen to them, Naruto."

Naruto turned to see the determined face of Sakura appear with Tsunade, followed by every member of the Rookie Nine. They all appeared gravely serious, and so unbelievably angry. Naruto couldn't blame them for it, though. He would have been angry too if he had been lied to for two years.

"I'm sorry Sakura. Not this time." He replied quietly, and her expression remained concrete. Kakashi, Gai and Kurenai now found there way into the mix as well.

Naruto avoided Kakashi's and Sakura's eyes. It was now that Naruto realized just how thankful he was that Sasuke was never informed of this plan. To have the only "family" he had ever known see him in such a vulnerable and sad place would have been too much.

"This is for your own good, Naruto." Tsunade remarked firmly. He avoided her eyes.

"You can't fix me, Baa-chan" He replied in fake arrogance. He briefly wondered why Sai was allowing it to go on this long.

"Shut the fuck up Naruto!" Came the irate voice of Kiba. "You can't lie about something like this and just-"

Kiba was abruptly cut off by the hand of Tsunade halting him. Clenching his fists, he stepped back into the line next to a very distraught-looking Hinata. Motioning towards the ANBU to stand down, Tsunade stepped out from the rest and looked directly at him.

"I may not be able to fix this, Naruto, but I won't know unless I have entertained every possibility imaginable."

"Even if there was a way, you'd only have forty-eight hours to find it." Naruto remarked through a fake smile. He hated being this cruel. He saw the shock flash in Tsunade's eyes as Sakura then stepped forward.

"Who _**are**_ you?" She asked angrily, blinking tears out of her eyes. "The Naruto I knew was never this much of a _coward_!"

"Enough!" Tsunade barked, and the area once again fell deeply silent. Naruto avoided the burning glares of his friends all around him. Sending Naruto one last glance, Tsunade stepped back into line and looked down in obvious disappointment.

"Resume." She called to the surrounding ANBU.

Tension abruptly skyrocketed, and Naruto began to seriously wonder when Sai would give the signal. Quietly kicking Sai's heel with his own, he cursed under his breath as the ANBU appeared in front of them with unrivaled speed and grace. Panic quickly turning to adrenaline, Naruto pinched Sai's arm painfully and rounded on him.

"Sai!" He called aloud, but before he could speak any further, he suddenly grimaced as he felt a small burning sensation plunge into the back of his thigh. Silence fell on the area as the ANBU abruptly froze in their places, and time seemed to suspend itself.

Glancing down at his leg, Naruto saw a large syringe filled with clear liquid sticking into the back of his thigh: the hand firmly holding it there being none other than Sai's. In confusion, Naruto glanced back up at the raven's eyes and noted the half-lidded, blank expression he held in them.

"Sai?" He asked in confusion. "What is th -" But before he could finish, he suddenly felt a crushing sense of sleepiness fall over him. His legs buckled beneath him, and as he fell to his knees, he struggled to keep his eyes open as the overwhelming desire to sleep absolutely crushed him. Slowly and in severe confusion, he pulled the syringe out of the back of his thigh, tossed it on the ground in front of him, and fell forward: his eyes never leaving the crystalline liquid in the syringe. He read the tiny measurements on the syringe and observed the glint of the thick, silver needle that held one last drop of the liquid on its tip.

It was now that he knew.

Rolling on to his back, he peered up into the blurry image of Sai's eyes looking down at him: blank, and resolute. Sleep waged war on him as he desperately fought to keep himself awake against the power of what he knew was a liquid sedative.

"That damn bird...it was to let them...let them know where...where we were, wasn't it?" Naruto whispered as his eyelids fluttered closed. Sai didn't respond, but it was a rhetorical question anyway.

"You promised." He whispered as his breathing began to relax. "You..." And then darkness enveloped him from all directions as he plummeted into a deep sedation.

"You mean more to me than a promise." Sai whispered at the boy.

One of the ANBU then appeared beside him and pulled the unconscious boy onto his back. Sai felt a heavy arm on his shoulder and turned to see the masked face of Kakashi next to him.

"You did the right thing." Kakashi mumbled. Sai nodded shortly as he watched Naruto's body being carried to Tsunade.

"Take him back to the hospital and tell them to set up a private room. Nara is there with the Uchiha. They'll tell you what to do. Good work everybody!" Tsunade called to the crowd as she waived the ANBU. Sai watched as the rounds of ANBU all flashed away: Naruto's body going with them.

"You are saving his life, Sai." Came the voice of Tsunade beside him.

"He'll never forgive me."

"Maybe not immediately, but in time..." He looked at her in confusion as she smiled back. "In time, he will thank you. Let's get back. We have a long night ahead of us." She remarked as she stepped forward and proceeded to head back to the village.

As Sai began to pick up his things and leave the drama of the area behind him, he heard a small voice behind him.

"Sai?"

He turned around and saw Sakura, eyes red from crying, looking at him vulnerably.

"I just...thank you." She whispered as she suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace; her face buried in his chest.

"Thank you."

(END CHAPTER)

WOAH long break. I'm sorry guys.

So as you can already tell, the "minor" pairing in this story is going to be SaiSaku. I know I added in a lot of SaiNaru moments, but those are purely friendship. This chapter was dedicated to both of those pairings, but the story will resume with SasuNaru from this point on.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to e-mail me! :)


	20. Cruel Irony: Chapter 20 Reasons

**Before you begin reading****, this whole chapter is actually a flashback of the time right after Naruto bolted out of Sasuke's house in the chapter before this one. This whole scene transpired during that hour, and about two hours before Naruto finds Sai in order to leave. **

Sasuke rigidly made his way to the Hokage's office while trying to shake off the lingering mortification of what had transpired between he and Naruto just minutes before. He didn't know whether to be appalled or just embarrassed at the prospect that he and Naruto had nearly escaped being caught in a very difficult place to explain. Because he rarely ever practiced being scared or embarrassed of anything, he figured he would just settle somewhere between "agitated" and "pissed off."

The ANBU who had summoned him just minutes before flew silently ahead, occasionally casting nervous glances backwards at the fuming Uchiha. This particular ANBU happened to be ranked just underneath Sasuke, but that didn't dilute the emanating fear that came from him.

Sasuke didn't discourage it.

"Why am I being summoned?" He called blankly to the ANBU, trying his best not to sound too irritated.

"It was an emergency summon, so details were not given to me..."

Sasuke didn't push any further than that and concluded that he would find out soon enough anyway. Being captain of an ANBU squad himself, he was often summoned for emergency missions.

As he sprung off of the rooftops, he felt a dark omen descend over him as he remembered the glance he and Naruto had shared. The look Naruto cast him seemed to burn where it hit: haunting, as if something should have been said, asked or explained. That look, framed by only the animalistic features of his face, seemed to mean far more than he knew or wanted it to.

Naruto wasn't okay. That much was known to a lot of people at this point, but that much alone wasn't enough information to do anything about it. Sasuke briefly acknowledged that Tsunade and the others had to have picked up on all of it. They should have been planning to address it. They should have been doing _something_. He himself had no place to - no _right_ to initiate anything at this point, but others knew. Others knew, even if he-

_"Dammit." _Sasuke thought irritatedly to himself as he felt his molars grinding into each other. He locked eyes with the ANBU for a split second, but turned away when the ANBU nervously picked up speed in front of him.

He knew Naruto and Sai were planning to leave. Their behavior was all too familiar, especially considering he was the man who knew more than any one in their generation what leaving looked like. But leaving was reserved solely for people like Uchiha Sasuke: people whose life situations were so exclusive and twisted and _damaged_ that morality and normalcy could never be applied to them in the way it was for every one else.

Sasuke didn't know much, and it angered him beyond what he had a right to claim. Yes, he was doing exactly what he had cursed Naruto for doing to him years before, but the intentions behind their departures were so opposite and so perpendicular that Sasuke didn't think they deserved a comparison. He wasn't ignorant of the irony surrounding the entire situation between he and Naruto, either. He just didn't care. Their roles had reversed, and he was finding himself understanding a fraction of the frustration and confusion that _maybe_ Naruto would have felt when trying to save something for some reason beyond what he could define. The difference, though, was that _he_ never made promises to be anything different or better than what he said he was: Naruto did.

No. If Naruto tried to leave again, Sasuke would fight, and he would fight hard. Damn the "unfairness" that Naruto saw in this, damn Naruto's pure, self-sacrificial intentions, damn the reasons, damn what Naruto thought **_at all_**. Because years ago, when Uzumaki Naruto established himself as being the epitome of everything right and _**good**_, Sasuke had inwardly resolved that Naruto should never have the right to demand the things that he himself had demanded of them years ago.

The ANBU abruptly dropped to the ground ahead of him, and Sasuke followed shortly after. Appearing directly in front of the Hokage Tower, Sasuke observed the ANBU as he opened the door and stood to the side.

"Hokage-sama is waiting." Came the rigid reply. Sasuke sent him a curt nod and entered the Hokage tower. Making his way up the stairs, he stopped in front of her door and knocked, but was drowned out by the low mumbling of voices inside. Not bothering to wait for a response, he opened the door and breezed through. He was met by the face of Tsunade glancing up from a few papers on her desk. Shikamaru was also there, and he too turned to face the Uchiha as his pointer finger remained on an open book in front of Tsunade. Sai was there too, and stood respectfully off to the side. He briefly scanned her desk to see various scrolls, papers and books opened to certain pages.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here." Tsunade remarked flatly, directing his focus from a scroll that appeared to be extremely old.

"My squad rotation doesn't start until next week." He replied blankly, meeting her eyes.

"Yes, I am aware." She replied flatly. Normally, she would have been offended by his clear lack of faith in her ability to organize, but she refrained from the sarcasm due to the seriousness of the situation. "This isn't exactly a mission."

He shifted positions as he waited for her to expound. She sat down, bridged her fingers under her nose, and cleared her throat.

"We don't have a whole lot of time, so I'm going to make this quick. Naruto is not well right now."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he stood firmly. She averted her eyes as she pulled out one of the papers she had previously been studying.

"_Nervous_." Sasuke acknowledged as he studied her body language - a skill he had learned while living in the vagueness of the Sound Village. She was rigid, and eye contact was hard for her to hold right now. They were classic signs of fear; unknown outcomes. As he carefully observed her movements, he suddenly decided that he didn't like the direction this conversation was taking.

"For the past week, I and the Elder Council have been in the process of organizing an arrest for Sai and Naruto that is to be performed this afternoon using the help of several ANBU and many of your peers."

"Why was I not informed?" Sasuke interjected abruptly. Tsunade firmly held her index finger up and berated the Uchiha to stand down.

"Let me finish." When he reluctantly backed off, she continued: "Naruto has thus far refused to reveal any information about why he left the village two years ago, but thanks to Sai, we do know now that it has to do with the Nine-Tailed fox."

When Sasuke voiced no questions, she continued once more: "There was a time not too long ago when Naruto heavily relied on the Kyuubi's chakra, and because of that, we speculate that the seal inhibiting the Kyuubi has been rendered invalid."

"His chakra is unrecognizable." Sasuke commented shortly to himself.

"Yes. Sai informed us that the Kyuubi has been forcing his chakra into Naruto's body for the past two years. When Naruto used its chakra regularly, unbelievable damage always occurred - his muscles were torn, bones were fragmented, his skin experienced third degree burns. Naruto's body was never meant to support demonic chakra, especially on a 24-hour basis."

"What is the fox's reasoning for doing it?" Sasuke asked, lips thinning into a white line. From the corner of the room, Sai observed the Uchiha in morbid curiosity.

"Because Naruto refuses to use it's power. Sai informed us that Naruto has been dealing with this constant stream of chakra for the past two years, which contributes to his current state of health. With no seal to keep that chakra reigned in, we can only assume that it has been slowly burning the inside of his body." She remarked awkwardly, as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Sasuke averted his eyes to the side; a look of frustration on his face as Tsunade waited for him to direct his focus back to her. The room remained silent as the Uchiha turned back towards her and spoke up:

"What am I supposed to do." It wasn't a question, but rather a resolution; a demand. Sai's interest perked.

"Our domestic arrest was supposed to detain Naruto until we could find a way to re-draw the seal, but Sai has informed us that we are working with a time-limit here..." She spoke very carefully, hoping that Sasuke would understand what she meant. The room visibly stilled.

"How much time." Sasuke asked shortly. The atmosphere in the room dropped to sub-zero temperatures as Sai cast Shikamaru a quick glance. If he saw it, he made no indication otherwise.

"Forty-eight hours." She whispered firmly, lips thinning into a line. Sai watched in morbid curiosity as Sasuke's countenance dropped momentarily.

"Fucking _idiot_." Sasuke mumbled breathily to himself as he concentrated on the opposite wall. Tsunade held her eyes on the Uchiha as she theorized a good way to proceed further with their already-fragile conversation.

Breaking the lingering silence, Shikamaru glanced up at the irate Uchiha in an attempt to keep the situation at a manageable level.

"We have a plan, Sasuke, but it involves you."

"Yes." Tsunade interjected as she straightened herself at her desk. "We have a theory that could work, but it's extremely risky."

"What is it." Sasuke asked carefully; his eyes lingering on Tsunade's. She held her eyes firmly on his own: bracing herself for how he might react to her next explanation.

"Years ago, your ancestor Uchiha Madara was able to gain control of the Kyuubi by utilizing the Sharingan. We believe that you could inhibit the Kyuubi long enough for a new seal to be re-drawn by doing the exact same thing he did."

Shikamaru glanced away as Sasuke visibly stiffened. Time seemed to suspend itself as Sasuke took in the information.

"I would have to use the Sharingan." He commented, voice full of expertly-suppressed emotion. It was now that Shikamaru held his gaze firmly onto Sasuke's and spoke up:

"Sasuke. You are the only person in existence other than Naruto who can directly communicate with the fox. It was said that the only reason Madara was even able to garner control of the fox initially was through nothing more than _fear_. The Kyuubi _feared_ the Sharingan because of the power it had over his _mind_, not his body. You wouldn't even have to control the Nine-Tailed Fox. You would just need to suppress him." He trailed off as Sasuke fell silent.

"This is Naruto's last chance at life." Tsunade commented briefly, allowing her emotional attachment to be seen.

Sasuke's issues with the Sharingan were unknown to everyone but himself, and no one had dared to tamper with the Sharingan since Sasuke's return. Sasuke had made it explicitly clear that it was a forbidden subject. After the first year of unsuccessful hinting, many of the Konoha elite had filed the valuable bloodline into the file of ancient history.

But now, things were different.

Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto.

Friends forged under the influence of heavy darkness: a bond that started out as a rough shell of coal, but was eventually held onto long enough to bring forth a diamond. But despite the deep-rooted meaning behind their relationship, Naruto himself had never outranked the stigma of the Uchiha in Sasuke's eyes. Once upon a time, when Uzumaki Naruto was left to die in a cursed valley while holding onto nothing but his hope and a hitai-ate, that was Uchiha Sasuke's formal declaration that Naruto could never mean more to him than the revenge. Naruto could never mean more than Uchiha Itachi, or the Uchiha clan or the Sharingan or the massacre or the pain.

But the world shifted, things changed, and secrets were uncovered that changed absolutely everything that Sasuke had ever known. He had returned out of respect to a brother who had resigned himself to a life of misery. The veil of hatred and bitterness had been torn from Sasuke's eyes by the love of a brother, and the hidden, bloodied path back to what he once called home had been reserved by the loyalty of a friend.

"I know-" Tsunade tried again as she fought back the emotion that wanted to escape: "I know the Sharingan reminds you only of things best left buried. Awful things that no one at your age should have to reference, but I'm asking you to confront them one last time."

When he didn't respond, she continued; deciding that this time, she would take more liberty in voicing her feelings than she ever had before regarding Uchiha Sasuke.

"I'm going to be very honest with you, Sasuke, but I want you to listen, and listen carefully: The darkest days of my watch over this village occurred when I was first instated as Hokage. During that time, your name was only muttered in anger, tragedy and regret. I had never known you, but I felt your side-effects everywhere I went. But despite the absolute _pain_ that your abandonment brought to the people I was supposed to protect, Naruto somehow made me _want_ to see your value just because of how badly and unapologetically he fought for you. That's part of the reason I even allowed you to return here as a citizen." His hard gaze remained on the floor, and she softened as she continued:

"I had been told many stories about your days with Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto as 'Team Seven', but I thought they were just over-sentimentalized memories told by the people who couldn't let go of them. In all honesty, I didn't see how it _could_ have been so great, considering how easily you left it. But since Naruto has returned, I think I have seen a small glimpse of what it had been like during those days. You have shown far more happiness in the last two weeks than you have in the last two years of pretending to be okay with where you are in life." Her eyes peered intensely at the Uchiha's as she spoke her next words: "My point is this: if you help save Naruto's life, in many ways I truly believe you will be saving your own. I know he means something to you. If I ever doubted it, the last two weeks have shown me otherwise."

It was done. She had said it. All of the feelings and personal observations she had kept to herself regarding the Uchiha were now known to him, and she wouldn't dare apologize for it. Sitting back in her chair, she allowed the still-blank-looking Uchiha to mull over her words for a minute.

Mentally drained, Sai visibly exhaled. Many of Tsunade's thought mirrored his own, and he found himself feeling stupidly justified at the prospect that she had said many of the things he had wanted to say to Sasuke. In the end, Tsunade was another person just like him who wanted to see this work for Naruto, and even more absurdly, to see truly where Sasuke's loyalties were now.

He was abruptly torn from his thoughts, however, as Sasuke quietly turned his back on all of them, and made his way to the door. Cocking his head slightly to the side whilst his eyes remained in shadow, he spoke up darkly:

"Fine. I'll be back in five minutes." He replied as the door clicked behind him. When all three of them heard his footprints fade down the hallway, the room fell into silence.

"It appears as if Sasuke has agreed to do it." Sai replied.

"Yes. Yes, I guess he has." Tsunade laughed loudly, not bothering to hide the smile that spread across her face. Sai, for the first time in a long time, leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and smiled.

_Relief. For the first time..._

A muffled "troublesome..." was heard mumbled around a cigarette that Shikamaru was lighting, but he, too, smiled slightly to himself. For the first time in what seemed like a very long time, light was returning to the world. Pulling a few sheets of paper out from underneath the books, Tsunade scribbled a few names on the paper and turned towards Sai.

"Will you inform these ANBU that I need to speak with them immediately. Every shinobi from your generation needs to report here as well."

"Hai." Came Sai's reply as he abruptly disappeared. She turned her attention back to Shikamaru.

"Now - what exactly are you guys planning to do to keep Naruto from fighting this?"

"Do you think I could have a written prescription for the strongest liquid sedative you have?"

Tsunade paused in disbelief at the younger boy, but muttered a quick "I don't even want to know" as she drew a small sheet of pink paper out of her desk, and began writing. She called Shizune into the room, and instructed the medical assistant to give it to Sakura.

"I really hope this works." She replied as she handed the pink slip to Shizune, who then walked out of the room.

"Same here." Shikamaru remarked as he lazily blew a last puff of smoke out of his mouth. "_Same here_."


	21. Cruel Irony: Chapter 21 Fix You

_"When you try your best but you don't succeed, when you get what you want but not what you need, when you feel so tired but you can't sleep - stuck in reverse. Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. I will try to fix you." Fix You - Coldplay_

_**oOOoOOoOOoOOo**_

"Remember people, we're working with a time-limit here!" Tsunade barked as she entered the room of scattering Shinobi. Concentration plagued the faces of various Shinobi and Medic-nin as Naruto's body was somewhat thrown on a hospital bed and hurriedly prepped.

"Time?" Came the stern voice of Sakura as she prepared a syringe filled with a higher dosage of the sedative.

"5:32 p.m." Shizune remarked distractedly as she carried an armful of scrolls into the room and dumped them on a counter. She cast the Hokage a quick glance as she blew a piece of hair out of her face. Tsunade appeared over the unconscious boy; arms crossed and gravely serious.

"Where's Nara and Uchiha?" She called behind her to the room of Shinobi.

"Here." Came the reply as Shikamaru Nara walked through the door with Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura, on the second glance of what she knew was an obvious double-take, took the time to smile at Sasuke, beckoning only a curt nod from him return.

She knew how hard this was for him. For all of them, really. But never in her life had she been more grateful to the man she now could respect for genuine reasons. Naruto had either finally meant more to Sasuke than the Uchiha Clan, or the Uchiha Clan had finally meant less; either way, it meant that Sasuke had changed.

Tired and emotionally spent, she briefly allowed herself to wonder if Sasuke would have done the same thing for her had she been the one lying in Naruto's spot.

When the answer wasn't immediate, she aborted the thought.

High stress was all that could be said of the atmosphere they were all currently working under. After everyone had cleared from the Eastern training ground, the true test of skill and patience came as they began to fully comprehend and prepare themselves for what the next few hours would hold.

"Exactly how many hours does he have?" Sakura called to the medic-nin and ANBU brushing all around her her. Considering the person the question applied to, she forced herself to characterize Naruto as one of the nameless patients she had to deal with on a daily basis.

"I'd say thirteen." Sai replied as he, too, entered the room.

Her face scrunched in distaste as she inserted the second round of sedative into Naruto's arm. Voices and questions sounded all around her as people solidified for the last time what needed to be done. ANBU were sent to clear an area outside of Konoha, and all Medic-nin were told to be immediately available in case things got out of control - an idea she didn't even consider divulging into at that moment. Shikamaru and Tsunade were in conversation somewhere in the midst of it all, but Sakura allowed them to blend in with the background noise when mention of the words "failure" and "kill him" were used in the same sentence.

"More?" Came Sasuke's deep voice as he appeared over her.

"What?" She asked in confusion as Sasuke nodded towards the syringe in her hand. "O-oh. The sedative, you mean." Sasuke sent her a somewhat unimpressed look, but she failed to recognize the sarcasm and continued: "Yeah, I figured it would be a good idea - you know, just in case things get...out of control, he won't be able to feel anyth-" _Rambling, _Sasuke noted to himself. "Not that Naruto would allow anything like that to happen, but - "

"Sakura."

"Yes?" She whispered, averting her eyes from Sasuke; mostly to hide the fact that she could feel the tears brimming. High-pressure situations were never her forte, especially when they involved her personally. If anyone would have known about her propensity to cry, though, it would have been Sasuke.

"Cry now. But when we get out there, be confident."

She nodded her head quickly as she bit her lip painfully to distract herself from the tears that wanted to explode - explode from the past few weeks - fuck, _**years**_ of pretending this situation they were in wasn't inevitable.

"Yeah." She rasped through the silent tears that spilled down her face. Her voice was strained, but she was thankful that Sasuke had averted his gaze onto Naruto. Sasuke always had been able to bring everything into focus in situations like these, even when he himself was struggling not to make it personal. In many ways, this was Sasuke's way of being encouraging - and she found in that moment, she was grateful.

Wiping the tears off her face, Sakura watched in morbid curiosity as Sasuke loomed over Naruto; his thumb and pointer finger lightly twisting the bed sheet as he studied Naruto's lifeless body.

"I _hate_ seeing him like this." She commented. "He seems so fragile. I never thought _Naruto_ of all people could seem so..." She trailed off.

"Breakable?" Came the reply as Sai appeared beside the bed. Both Sakura and Sasuke cast him a glance as he, too, analyzed the unconscious body. "That was one of the reasons he wanted to leave so badly. He didn't want any one to remember him like this. Especially not you two..."

Sakura pretended not to hear the audible grunt from Sasuke, and instead focused on the way his fist clenched the bed-sheet.

"Uchiha." Tsunade called from across the room, abruptly breaking them from their thoughts. They all three turned to the older woman as she motioned for Sasuke to come. Kakashi was there with her, which meant things were about to get serious.

As Sakura watched Sasuke turn to leave, however, she noted the quick glance he sent back towards Naruto before resuming his way through the crowd.

And then, for the first time, she _**knew**_.

"I know now that they _are_ in love with each other." She whispered to Sai as a tear fell off her lip and into Naruto's lifeless palm.

"How." Sai asked, though not really needing an explanation.

"Because this time, Sasuke looked back."

And the tears came again - like the breaking of a rafter, or the shattering of a glass wall. Only this time, Sakura cried not for Sasuke and Naruto separately, but for Sasuke and Naruto as a whole. What they _**were**_ and what they _**could**_ be and might not ever _**get**_ to be because somehow, there was always something fucking stupid and _**ridiculous**_ standing in the way of them - all three of them - from being the best that they could be. She cried for their pitiful, beautiful, dysfunctional, _**cheated **_trinity.

"When are we going to get a fucking _chance?"_ She bit sharply through the tears. "There has always been _**something **_preventing us from being _**whole.**_ I'm so tired of being broken and-"

It was now that Sai stepped forward and placed his hands firmly on her face, pulling her eyes up to meet his.

"We're all going to be okay." He reassured, catching the somewhat confused and unconvinced look on her face. "Me. You. Sasuke. _Naruto_. Team Seven. All of us. We will be _**okay**_."

And in that moment, Sakura forced herself to hold her eyes onto the black infinity of Sai's own, due to the sickening "click" of the wheels on Naruto's hospital bed being released. Never breaking her gaze from Sai's, she felt her hand slide out of Naruto's palm as his bed rolled past her. The room that was once bustling with noise now shifted as its people cleared to the sides of the room.

Due to the possibility that the Nine-Tailed Fox could be released, Sakura was told to stay in the Hospital in case fatal injuries resulted. They were re-drawing the seal in an area outside of Konoha in order to contain the Kyuubi in as rural of an area as possible. The magnitude of devastation - much of it only known to the eldest in Konoha - was kept explicitly secret from the civilians of Konoha. Any leaked knowledge of what they were about to do would set-off a chain reaction of fear and panic.

According to what she had learned, the only people who were allowed to be there were the entire fleet of ANBU, Tsunade, Kakashi (to draw the seal), Shikamaru (to dictate what needed to be done) and Sasuke (to inhibit the Nine-Tailed Fox).

Sakura watched as the ANBU trudged down the hallway with Naruto's body, followed by Shikamaru, Kakashi, Tsunade and Sasuke. Sasuke was the only one who would be directly involved with the Kyuubi, and thus faced the most danger out of all of them.

He knew it.

Feeling the panic rise in her chest, Sakura abruptly tore herself away from Sai and felt herself run until she had crashed into Sasuke's back; her arms wrapped tightly around his torso as she pulled him into an all-too familiar embrace. She instantly felt Sasuke's body turn rigid, but she didn't care.

"I just want you to know that I will _**always**_ love you - whether as a teammate, or - or a friend, or _**whatever**_. But I just want you to know, so that if things don't go well-"

"Thank you." Came the reply, and Sakura was instantly struck quiet.

"The last time you said that to me, you left us and never looked back. Tell me you'll come back this time. Promise me you'll both-"

"I can't."

At these words, she instantly felt her stomach drop as Sasuke's verbal freight-train ran her into the ground for the umpteenth time in her life. Her grimace must have been obvious, however, because Sasuke spoke up abruptly:

"If I don't come back, it won't be because I didn't want to. It will be because I died trying to bring us _both_ back."

Before she could react, a harsh "Uchiha!" was barked from down the hallway, tearing both of them from their thoughts.

"Be confident, Sakura." Came Sasuke's last piece of advice as he pulled away, and turned down the hallway. Sakura, for lack of a better reply, simply observed his retreating figure in stunned silence - a ritual she had grown used to.

As she watched him leave this time, however, Sakura acknowledged that for the first time in her life, she felt that she had truly come to love Sasuke Uchiha.

(NEXT SCENE - FOUR HOURS LATER )

"Lay him down. He needs to be in a vertical position." Tsunade explained as two ANBU lowered Naruto onto the ground.

They had traveled for four hours and had eventually reached their destination - a small, deserted field that bridged the gap between Konohagakure and many of the small neighboring villages. This particular field had been used by the ninja villages for generations, so many of the civil villages had declared the small span of territory a "no-man's land" due to the damage that was often inflicted upon it.

Sasuke crossed his arms as he stood over Naruto's body.

"Are you ready?" Came the forever-calm voice of Kakashi as he appeared next to Sasuke.

"Yes."

"This is a different kind of battle, Sasuke." Kakashi replied as he crouched next to Naruto's body and pulled the younger boys shirt up; exposing the drastic fading of Naruto's seal. Sasuke knew that Kakashi was about to delve into a lengthy lecture, and he might have considered tuning the older man out if he didn't know that Kakashi was usually right in what he had to say.

"You've always been taught to rely on things like Chidori, katanas and Ninjutsu - physical attacks meant for physical enemies. But this time is different." Sasuke observed Kakashi's hand hover over Naruto's seal in an attempt to memorize the patterns and curves. "You will have to utilize the highest degree of genjutsu you've ever attempted. You can't overcome the Kyuubi's physical properties, but you can overthrow his mental stability."

"Fear." Sasuke replied as Kakashi placed a large scroll next to Naruto.

"Yes. Everything that lives, lives with something they fear. Fear is nothing but an illusion from the mind, yet it possesses the power to destroy everything it touches. The moment Uchiha Madara overthrew the Nine-Tailed Fox, it could never again live without fear. But you can't just be what Madara was, Sasuke. You will have to be better."

"Kakashi."

"Hm?"

"Is any of this actually possible."

Kakashi briefly glanced up at the younger boy before turning back to the scroll he had rolled alongside Naruto's body.

"I don't know." Came the reply after what seemed a small eternity.

Sasuke didn't react, even as Kakashi stood and casually put his hands in his pockets. Eye-contact wasn't an option between the two, but mostly because both men focused on Naruto in quiet contemplation. After a few minutes of silence, Kakashi spoke up:

"Three years ago, every one told Naruto that he should forget about you, because you would always be 'impossible'. Three years later, here you are."

Sasuke caught the obvious humor in the older mans voice. When he didn't bother with a reply, Kakashi continued. "From what I've seen, the things in life that _should_ be impossible never seem to hold a whole lot of ground to the people who choose to be greater than the word impossible. Naruto has always been one of those people."

Kakashi caught the audible scoff from Sasuke as he suddenly crouched next to Naruto, and began pulling the younger boys hitai-ate off his head; leaving several unruly golden locks to fall in his eyes. Kakashi pretended not to notice when Sasuke carefully folded the forehead protector and tucked it inside his pocket. His interest perked when Sasuke abruptly spoke up:

"And yet here he is, _dying_ anyway. What does any of it matter if-" But Sasuke abruptly cut himself off, and Kakashi wasn't surprised in the least.

"He's not perfect, Sasuke. He doesn't think about the consequences of anything. You know that. He's just Naruto. Always has been, probably always will be."

When Kakashi caught the frustrated expression flash across Sasuke's face, he decided not to try and justify Naruto's behavior anymore. He himself didn't approve of the way Naruto had handled the last few years of his life, but he never allowed himself to judge the actions of others.

"Are you guys ready?" Came the voice of Tsunade as she appeared from behind. Sasuke immediately stood up.

"As ready as we can be." Kakashi replied.

"Will we still be able to communicate with you, Uchiha?"

"I've spoken with the fox once before, and when I did, my attention was divided equally between Naruto's sub-conscious and the outside world. I can't risk distraction this time, so I doubt I will be aware of much out here."

"I'll bring him back if things get out of hand." Kakashi replied. It was now that Tsunade turned her attention fully to Sasuke.

"Are you confident with what you need to do, Uchiha?" Tsunade asked while expertly masking the concern.

"Yes."

Her gaze lingered on him a little while longer. "Very well." Came the reply as she turned to the surrounding ANBU. "All of you take your positions! Observe the assigned perimeters and be on guard for civilian activity at all times! You are all aware of the risk in what we are doing, and I expect you all to be performing at the highest level of skill you have achieved!"

As the various ANBU scattered into the surrounding trees, Sasuke turned his attention fully on Naruto. Before he could resume, however, his concentration was broken as Kakashi's hand planted itself firmly on his shoulder.

"Fear. Illusion. Genjutsu. It's what the Uchiha clan was known for, and in many ways, what they were hated for. You have a chance to use that power for admirable reasons, Sasuke. You are an Uchiha. Be proud of it."

"Hn." Came the reply as Sasuke sent the older man a signature smirk. The last thing he saw was the darkened whisker-marks on Naruto's cheeks before his Sharingan flared wildly, and pulled darkness in all around him.

(NEXT SCENE - IN KYUUBI'S DOMINION)

The next thing Sasuke saw was nothing but an abysmal black before his eyes. Stepping forward, he heard the splash of water churning around his ankles as he moved through the shallow, black water. He had been in this sanctum once before - three years ago, before he knew what Naruto was. He had always known Naruto was special - it was what had initially brought them closer - but he had never known that the source of Naruto's power could be attributed to the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Then again, there were many things he didn't know.

_"Chakra-heavy."_ Sasuke thought to himself as he sniffed the air.

He had immediately felt the eerie, cold-burn of the Kyuubi's chakra hit him as it swirled freely through the room. He felt the chakra burning his eyes and throat, and began to shallow his breathing just to lessen his exposure to the bitter chakra. This unbridled chakra hadn't been there three years ago, but three years ago, Naruto's seal was still functional. It was now that Sasuke realized just how much damage it could do to someone who had to live with it on a daily basis.

He felt his own chakra flare at the thought.

**"Tell me who you are." **Came the cold voice of the Kyuubi. Sasuke cocked his head towards the voice and was met with Kyuubi's massive body lying cramped in his cage. It was too dark to recognize the Kyuubi as being anything other than a dark, shapeless structure. Turning, Sasuke faced the demon fully. but hid himself in the shadows.

When Sasuke didn't reply, the demon lazily opened one eye to observe him as Sasuke's hand discreetly hovered over his katana.

**"That chakra. You are an Uchiha." **

"More or less." Came the reply as he adjusted himself further into the darkness. The demon's heaving chest was the only movement he could see through the grainy blackness.

**"Yes. But which one."**

"You have seen me before." Sasuke replied blankly, catching the increasingly shorter breaths from inside the cage.

**"I have seen many. Show yourself." **The demon ordered. It was now, as Sasuke stepped through the black water again, did he allow his Sharingan to be captured in a small ray of light. Sasuke watched in heavily-guarded curiosity as the shapeless mass of the Kyuubi's body shifted in it's cage, revealing two glassy eyes peering at him.

**"You are Uchiha, but I do not know those eyes. Show yourself, fool!" **The Kyuubi snapped, this time standing to his feet and pressing his massive face through the bars of the cage.

"You know who I am." Sasuke replied blankly.

His body suddenly tensed, however, as the Kyuubi barked and abruptly slashed his claws across the iron bars of his cage, sending sparks of fire shooting across the room. Sasuke felt the heat of the huge embers fly around him as the room lit up with light momentarily before falling back into the darkness. He felt his hand brush against the sheath of his katana as a low, rumbling laugh escaped from the demon and echoed into the space of the room. Sasuke knew in that moment that the flash of light from the sparks had highlighted his image long enough for his identity to be known.

He smirked as he felt his Sharingan spin wildly. The Kyuubi continued to laugh as he laid back down in the cramped prison.

**"I know you. You're that brat from three years ago. I must admit, you're chakra is impressively dark, but you are no real threat to me."**

"Did you think I was someone else?"

Sasuke tensed when he heard a low rumble of laughter.

**"I know what you're trying to do, Uchiha Sasuke - you and you're blindly hopeful peers. I am hundreds of years old, and have seen Genjutsu even more sinister than what your cursed clan was capable of producing. Did you really think I wouldn't be able to recognize the Genjutsu of an eighteen-year-old brat?"**

"No."

**"And why is that, **_**child**_**?"**

"Because you're in one."

Sasuke saw the warped expression briefly spread across the Kyuubi's face as the room suddenly seemed to explode. Nauseating, fractal red was all that could be seen as the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox writhed in fury and shock under the chains of Sasuke's Genjutsu.

**"What have you done to me!" **The Kyuubi snarled as the chains pinned him to the floor.

"You are in my Genjutsu."

**"Impossible! I dispelled any Genjutsu the second I sensed your **_**filthy**_** Uchiha blood!"**

Sasuke, void of any emotion, crossed his arms as he stood over the massive body of the Kyuubi.

"That was your mistake. When you sensed Uchiha, you put your guard up. When it wasn't immediately clear who I was, you went to my eyes. Because you didn't recognize them, you succumbed to fear.

**"I am afraid of **_**nothing!"**_

"_You_ are afraid of Uchiha Madara." Sasuke replied cynically as he crouched in front of the Kyuubi's face. "You knew I was from the Uchiha clan, but you didn't know which Uchiha I was. When you couldn't figure it out, you're brain automatically tried to associate me with something that was most familiar, and you panicked when Uchiha Madara was the only thing that fit the description. However, when you finally saw that I was that same kid from three years ago, you allowed your guard to drop, and when you did, I re-created an identical copy of this entire place to convince you that nothing had changed - when in reality, you've been in here since that moment."

**"You **_**damned**_** Uchiha's**_**!**_** You deserve to rot with your disgusting family in hell! Every last one of you and that **_**damned**_** bloodline!"**

Sasuke observed emotionlessly as the Kyuubi writhed and screamed in fury under the phantom chains of the Genjutsu. The white-hot fury that had riddled through the Kyuubi's body subsided, only to be replaced by short, shallow breaths. Before Sasuke could initiate another move, however, he heard the low, rumbling of laughter that sounded from the Kyuubi again.

"Speak." Sasuke somewhat barked, trying to hide the obvious frustration. He heard himself somewhat growl as the Kyuubi's laughter elevated.

**"I know the sick practices of your clan, Uchiha Sasuke. Years ago, Madara Uchiha ripped the eyes out of his younger brothers skull, all for the sake of more **_**power.**_** I see now why I couldn't recognize your eyes. You did the same thing to your brother, didn't you, **_**Sasuke**_**?"**

Sasuke felt a burst of white-hot fury surge through his veins as the chains on the Kyuubi ripped deeper into his skin, but nothing stopped the pained mix of laughter and whimpering that bubbled through his lips.

**"How does it feel, knowing you will always be looking through his eyes? Was it worth it?"**

Before Sasuke could reply, however, both boy and demon were rendered immobile as the raw chakra that had previously plagued the room suddenly cut in half - the stream of stinging chakra evaporating as the Kyuubi's previously-amused face was replaced by angry confusion.

**"Is this what you and your pitiful mentors were trying to do? Save that**_** brat?"**_

"His name is Naruto." Sasuke snapped darkly as he continued to observe the receding chakra. _"It's working." _He thought to himself as the chains holding the Kyuubi shifted as the anger returned to the demon.

**"You are all **_**fools**_**. If I say Uzumaki Naruto will die, Uzumaki Naruto will die, and he will die in **_**agony**_**."**

And then Sasuke was in front of the Kyuubi, Sharingan spinning wildly.

"If you do anything from this point on, I will be your _nightmare_." Sasuke snarled. Before the Kyuubi could respond, however, Sasuke felt himself being thrown backwards as white-washed light burst through the room. Everything - the black water, the chains, the Kyuubi - everything disappeared behind a veil of white.

**"You will regret this. All of you."**

"Sasuke, get up!" Barked the voice of Kakashi.

Coming to his senses, Sasuke sat up and felt the throbbing pain on his cheek where Kakashi had presumably punched him to break him free of the Genjutsu. Feeling the clothes clinging to his body, he acknowledged that at some point it had started raining, and thunder pounded against his ears. Briefly reassuring himself that he was back in the field, he darted his eyes to Naruto and saw the bubbling red chakra encompassing his body as the rain pelted from all directions.

"He's being controlled. We need to wake him up." Kakashi called over a burst of thunder as he pulled Sasuke to his feet.

"You didn't fix it?" Came the reply.

"I did, but we made the mistake of putting Naruto under sedation. The fox is mad, and he knows Naruto is in too deep of a sleep to wake up."

"Kakashi!" Tsunade barked, and both boys were torn from their conversation as Naruto sprung on to all fours: eyes red, claws ripping through his nail-beds and fangs cutting the sides of his cheek.

Both Kakashi and Sasuke split in opposite directions as Naruto bolted towards them, splashing muddy water across his arms.

"We need to wake him up!" Kakashi called from across the field. When it became clear that Naruto was making a bee-line for Kakashi, Sasuke burst forward and tackled Naruto from the side. Slamming Naruto into the ground and rolling for a good ten feet, he sent a fist flying into Naruto's face as he caught the wild bot long enough to pin him.

"Naruto, wake up!" He called, but cursed under his breath as another burst of thunder drowned him out.

"Listen to me, Naruto, this is not you!"

This time, though, Sasuke had to jump backwards as Naruto rolled forward and tore a claw through his right cheek-bone. Sasuke grimaced as he instantly felt the raw chakra poisoning his body. He caught the sight of Kakashi's body lying in the grass, and briefly acknowledged that at some point, he hadn't gotten there fast enough.

"_Shit_." Sasuke commented to himself as he dodged Naruto's movements.

A painful kick was sent to his ribs, and he felt the rippling crack as a few of them shattered in tandem. Shrugging it off, Sasuke appeared behind Naruto and kicked him forcefully in the spine. Furious, Naruto let out an animalistic growl as his body slid across the ground; the flesh peeling from the raw chakra burns. Ignoring the vertigo, Sasuke dropped on to Naruto's flailing body and began punching the younger boy as blood ran in trails down both of their bodies. The feral Naruto suddenly screeched as Sasuke shattered his collar-bone in half.

"If it hurts, make it stop!" Sasuke called, ignoring the emotion that freely escaped. "Wake up, idiot, and this will stop!" Sasuke felt his voice crack, but ignored it when the feral Naruto beneath him began to writhe. Sasuke felt a small trails of blood run down his face, but he kept his focus on the struggling body beneath him.

"He is not you, dobe! He has never been you!" And as soon as Sasuke said it, he momentarily felt the body beneath him calm as the eyes flickered indecisively between blue and red. Sasuke knew in that moment that Naruto was aware of what he was doing, because the tears streamed down the blonds eyes as he shifted between boy and beast. Sasuke pinned Naruto's arms even further into the dirt as the blond waged war beneath him.

"You know who you are."

He thrashed harder, and Sasuke pinned harder.

"The Rookie Nine value your life, Naruto." Sasuke barked. He realized that at some point, he had grabbed the sides of Naruto's face in his hands. The eyes still flashed - _blue, red, blue, red._

"Sakura, Kakashi and Tsunade value your life." He reiterated as he forced Naruto to look at him. Rain now pelted them mercilessly, blinding their vision as they slung water droplets everywhere. Blood ran in trails down Naruto's face as the chakra burned both of their bodies.

"The village values your life, Naruto!"

Thrashing, and screaming. Blood and devastation.

_Blue._

_Red._

_Blue. _

_Red._

"Dammit Naruto, _I_ value your life!" Sasuke barked as the sickening sound of bone being shattered sounded through the air; and for the first time in what seemed like years, total silence fell across the field.

_Blue. _

And Sasuke coughed violently._  
_

"Sasuke!" Tsunade gasped as she observed the tanned arm that had been shoved through his chest; blood dripping off the fingers that protruded from his back.

Sasuke, who now had blood freely dribbling out of his mouth and on to the front of his shirt, held Naruto's face in his hands, and his blue eyes on to his own black orbs.

"Even on the darkest days, I never could deny it." Sasuke rasped brokenly as the blood spurted from his mouth and nose.

A strangled choke escaped his throat as he slowly leaned forward, and placed his forehead against the scar on Naruto's chest that he had been responsible for years before.

For the first time in his life, Sasuke felt old - too old to return from the damage. It wasn't the first time he had ever met death. Time had always seemed to slow during those times. Sometimes it was hours, other times it felt like years. But this time, he couldn't distinguish time at all; and he knew in that moment that it was probably a good thing. He felt his breathing shallow dangerously as his blood permeated down the front of Naruto's shirt.

"Sasuke." Naruto whispered brokenly while counting the short breaths that escaped from Sasuke's mouth.

"It has always been _you_." Sasuke choked back in frustration as his weight leaned fully against Naruto. "It will always be-"

His voice faded then, and Naruto didn't need to look at him to see that his eyes had closed. All he knew was that the short, ragged breathing of Sasuke's body had ceased.

It was now, as the rain poured on top of them - blood washing off in trails and staining the grass a hideous black- that Naruto slowly glanced down at his shirtless stomach, observed the beautifully re-drawn seal that replaced the old one, and cried.

The last thing he saw was Tsunade running towards them as he collapsed against Sasuke.

(END CHAPTER)

UPDATE: Ok the link I posted to xxheartlessbitchxx 's drawing is not working. I'll try to figure out a way to insert the link, but for now, I suggest typing [ www . xxheartlessbitchxx . deviantart . com ] into your search bar WITHOUT those spaces or brackets. It will take you to her profile, and you will see it there.

WHOO Long chapter is LONG. Anyway, this was a very emotional chapter for me to write, and I hope I conveyed it well. The next update should come fairly quickly, considering I've been lingering on this chapter for a considerable amount of time.

In other news, it has been brought to my attention that I made an EPIC mistake in chapter 18. Someone informed me that Naruto already told Sasuke he was dying, so he shouldn't have been too suprised by what Tsunade would tell him in chapter 19. Not knowing what this person was talking about, I went back and read the chapter and realized that I had submit the completely wrong chapter! Heh, WHOOPS. *nervous laughter* I had originally had two different ideas for where I was going to take the story from chapter 18, and I didn't realize until just a few days ago that I submit the wrong version. I have already replaced it with the correct version, so if you want the story to make more sense, I would highly suggest going back to chapter 18 and reading on from there. I never go back and re-read the chapters, but I know I should start due to all of the plot-holes, grammatical fails and overall mistakes I'm finding.

OH! AND ONE MORE THING! xxheartlessbitchxx has made an ASTOUNDINGLY beautiful drawing of one of the scenes from this story called Collapse. You can see it here: .com/art/Collapse-197139307 I'll give a thousand internets to anyone who can identify the scene without help. I knew what scene it was from the second I saw it, which is a true testament to how good of an artist she is! I LOVE when people draw scenes from my stories, and hers truly made my day! Go check her our.

I love ALL of you guys, and I save all of your reviews and am going to try and start e-mailing you back more. For now, I hope this ridiculously long chapter is thanks enough! See you later! - Miss Madison


	22. Cruel Irony:Chapter 22 Everything Trying

_"I would come back and admit that it wasn't your fault, but I'm tired and unwilling to be the only one who was wrong. And I would sail back to you." _- Everything Trying, Damien Jurado

Sakura knew the second the ANBU burst through the doors that things had spiraled out of control.

Springing to her feet, her eyes briefly captured flashes of blood and clothing and chaos - all of it flying past each other and blurring into a scene of war-like hysterics. She briefly saw Kakashi's body being wheeled into a room, and coerced herself to stay professional. Barking orders and grasping for equipment, she found herself stumbling into the carnage.

On instinct, she found herself at Naruto's body first. Fighting off a grimace at the sight of his raw burns, she called for assistance, prompting a nameless nurse to appear next to her. His collar-bone had obviously been shattered and there were many flesh wounds, but the real danger was found in the severe chakra burns. The burns - many of them third degree - were causing an outrageous fever to skyrocket into deadly temperatures.

"Sakura."

"Yes." She barked intensely as the familiar voice of her sensei entered the room. Too distracted to ask for an explanation, she spared Tsunade a brief glance before turning back to Naruto.

"Leave him to the others. This one's critical." Came the rushed reply. Whirring around to face her sensei, Sakura fought against her selfish irritation. Naruto may have been the most important to her, but he wasn't allowed to be the most important to 'Sakura the Medic-Nin'.

"Name?" She snapped to her sensei, but immediately blanched upon turning around. She felt her stomach drop as Sasuke's horrifically devastated body was placed in front of her.

Sakura had seen many morbid wounds in her day and had been explicitly trained to view them objectively. But when she took-in the sight of Sasuke's exposed chest-wound streaming blood on the sheets and floor, she suddenly felt as if she had never truly seen anything. She didn't know if it was the worst wound she had seen because of the exposed bone, or if it was the worst just because of who it was on. She felt herself struggle to breathe as time weirdly suspended itself. All of the chaos, noise and panic had ceased as Sakura observed Sasuke.

Except it wasn't Sasuke. It couldn't have been. There was no way Sasuke could be this close to death, simply because Sasuke was unconquerable. He always had been. Sasuke was never susceptible to death. Mental death? Maybe. Emotional death? Yes. But _physical_ death was something Sakura never saw Sasuke struggle with - and because of that, she found herself plagued with a crushing sense of paralysis.

For the first time, she had no idea what to do.

"Pull it together, Sakura." Tsunade warned, drawing Sakura back into the chaos. She must have expected Sakura's reaction to the damaged boy, because she immediately followed-up with a murmured "Don't make this personal."

Completely detached from reality, Sakura stepped back as Shizune abruptly flew past her.

"O2 stats are critical. I need oxygen _now_!" Tsunade shouted to the room of medic-nin, tucking a rain-soaked strand of hair behind her ear. Sakura numbly observed Shizune tear an oxygen mask off a table and hold it firmly onto Sasuke's face. Tsunade sent Sakura an irritated glance, but continued pressing dry-cloths into the bleeding wound.

"What's his B.P.?" Shizune asked quickly. She was still holding the mask onto Sasuke's face, but had used her free arm to press dry-cloths into the wound while Tsunade began the chakra-healing.

"Fatal. His heart has barely been missed, but he's bleeding-out due to the damage in his arteries. If we can't heal them, blood will be shunted from his brain and he will die from blood loss."

Sakura felt her legs shaking as Tsunade's explanation registered. Sasuke was too unconscious and too damaged, and the blood - the blood was just _everywhere_. It was smeared on the sheets, stained on the clothes of the ANBU and brushed up and down Tsunade and Shizune's arms. It trailed out into the hallway, and dripped slowly off of his curled fingers; puddling onto the floor in slow, rhythmic drops at her feet.

Drip.

**"He won't survive this." **She resolved.

Drip.

"Sakura! Snap out of it!"

_**"**_**There's no way he could. It's too bad this time."**

Drip.

"I need your help! He's _dying_!" Tsunade snapped at her. Sakura caught the sweat trailing down her forehead, but failed to hear the desperation in her voice. Shizune sent her a distressed look, but it meant nothing to her.

**"I can't help you, Sasuke."**

His arm flinches. Two drops.

**"I never could. Not in life, not in death."**

"Be confident, Sakura!"

And suddenly, the room explodes into a silent memory.

Whirring around, she see's Sasuke next to her. They're standing over Naruto's body just like before, and she acknowledges that this exact moment - the people, the scenery - had all happened just hours before. She presses her middle-finger underneath her eye and feels a tear slide down the side. This was when she had started crying.

"Sasuke?" She asks with no real expectations. He looks at her, but not because he can hear.

"Cry now. But when we get out there, be confident." He replies, the familiar remark stunning her for the second time. She bites her lip.

"Maybe Team Seven was never supposed to work." She calls hesitantly, and briefly wonders where these words are coming from. She never takes this much freedom with Sasuke.

When he doesn't respond to her statement, she knows he can't hear her, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't have challenged it anyway. Sasuke was always the first to put a disclaimer on Team Seven. He never saw the omnipotence in it that Naruto did.

She continues anyway, tracking the perfectly mirrored movements of their conversation just hours before:

"When we were kids, it was always you and Naruto. When you left, it became just me and Naruto. Then when Naruto left, you came back and it turned into me and you."

He continues to observe Naruto, his thumb and pointer-finger twisting the sheet like they had just hours before. Sakura knows she's only borrowing liberty with these words because they can't actually be heard. She speaks up again:

"The three of us just cycle between each other, and someone is always removed." She studies Sasuke's interactions with Naruto, but averts her eyes when things seem to get weirdly intimate. She speaks up again, though more to herself this time:

"Sometimes I think both of you needed each other far more than you needed m-"

"Uchiha!" Tsunade barks from across the room, and Sakura isn't even slightly surprised. In a way, she's thankful for the unforeseen interruption.

She watches as he turns from their teammate and moves through the crowd. Wanting to see it again, she smiles to herself when he casts Naruto the proverbial second-glance that he had always wanted of the Uchiha; the glance that had confirmed her suspicion once and for all.

That look would have meant far more to Naruto than just "a look." A second-glance was an indication that _maybe_ Naruto had been enough to halt Sasuke's pain. _Maybe_ he had made enough of an impact on Sasuke to upset the madness - the addiction, revenge, obsession, _whatever_. If Sasuke had truly gotten to that point, Sakura considered it a true crime that Naruto hadn't been awake to see it.

Breaking from her reverie, she laughs sadly to herself.

"You two always were the perfect irony." She mumbles, turning her attention back to Naruto. "I wanted it to work for you. So damn _badly_."

But when she says it, she frowns to herself; because she says it as if she had already tried her hardest to make it work for them - as if she had already gone down in an honorable blaze of glory trying to save them. She says it as if she were working with blood, sweat and tears at that very moment with Tsunade and Shizune to save Sasuke's life. Feeling the crushing weight of reality, Sakura realizes that she says it assuming she hadn't succumbed to a pathetic lack of strength and confidence.

Naruto and Sasuke had always needed each other to balance the damage of their childhoods. It was a level of damage she would never have been able to understand, simply because her life had never been petrified like theirs'. They had always sought in each other what had been robbed of them in their childhoods. She had never been robbed of anything, so how could she empathize with those who had?

Like a jar of marbles being poured on the floor, Sakura's thoughts scattered and rolled around in her mind. Had she been wrongly defining her relationship with them this whole time? If she was incapable of understanding their pain, how _could_ the trinity be equal? Was she trying to squeeze herself into the same void of pain that Naruto and Sasuke had lived in? She lacked what they had - a common thread.

_"If one of them has to live without the other, they will never find in me what they have found in each other. How could they? I don't know their kind of pain, so how can I know their kind of need? This whole time - have I...have I been mistaking my __**want **__of them as my __**need **__for them?"_

With fire igniting her bones, she felt the clouds of disconsolation roll back from her vision as her confidence began to surge. Maybe Sasuke and Naruto didn't need her. Maybe she didn't need them. She didn't really know, but none of it mattered anyway because what she was certain of was that Naruto and Sasuke _did_ need each other, and their last chance was in jeopardy.

"I may never be what they need, but I'm part of Team Seven too, dammit!"

And as soon as she said it, she felt herself explode back into the hospital room - the noise ringing as the bodies hovering around Sasuke's body pushed her into the corner of the room. Wading her way through the crowd of medic nin, Sakura felt herself burst towards Sasuke's body and immediately begin assessing the carnage. Throwing her hair into a messy bun, she rolled her sleeves up and began charging the soothing green chakra around her hands.

"Nice to have you back." Tsunade replied tiredly as she concentrated her own chakra into the younger boys body.

"It won't happen again." Sakura replied confidently; and somehow, Tsunade knew that she was being honest. "What's his status?"

"Not good, Sakura. He's flat-lined twice." She replied dismally; her lips thinning into a white line as her rain-soaked hair fell around her face. Sakura barricaded the fear-saturated thoughts to stay back.

Weaving all of her skill, talent and life into the man beneath her, Sakura heard his now-phantom advice repeating itself like a broken record somewhere in the room:

_"Be confident, Sakura."_

(ONE WEEK LATER)

Naruto knew where he was, except for how he didn't.

He had been in this void a lot recently. For lack of a scientific term, he had come to define it as "that weird dimension between being asleep and awake." It was a place where he found himself dream-thinking about stupid shit, yet he was still too dormant for serious thought to intermingle with the rest.

In the mix of these syrupy thoughts, he picked up a slow beeping noise that somehow sounded too concrete to match with the rest. He listened to it for a while - for how long, he couldn't tell. It could have been days. Hours? No. Dreams only lasted for seconds even though they felt like hours.

His dreams used to be wildly theatrical with a plot, color and everything. Lately, though, they were clipped and vague.

Being pulled more and more into reality, Naruto found himself now counting the beeps.

_4_. . _.5_. . .

They still didn't mean anything, but they were there to be acknowledged. Slowly, he opened his eyes around the head-numbing light and studied the ceiling. There was a small plastic - no, metal - gadget shaped like a ship's wheel that caught his interest. It kind of looked like a weapon.

_"That won't work."_ He thought, but wasn't exactly sure what he thought wouldn't work.

_7_. . .

By now, the metal wheel revealed itself to be a sprinkler-system for fires.

_"That's not cool at all." _Naruto thought dreamily as he categorized the eleventh beep_. "Annoying. Why are they doing that?" _He thought as he craned his neck upward to view the room. As he moved to sit up, however, he was made painfully aware of the raw patches of skin that flared when he shifted.

"Mother of _Kami_." He hissed as he fell back into the pillow. "_I'm not doing __**that **__again_."

After a good twenty minutes, however, he picked up on how strangely light he felt. The flesh burns -which he wasn't awake enough to question just yet- were raw and painful, but they were just surface pains. The deep, tiring, oppressive pain that had berated him for so long seemed to be missing. The slow-burn that had plagued him for two years seemed to be weirdly absent, but he knew the Kyuubi wouldn't have been so forgiving.

"_The burning is gone. Why is the-_"

And then, like the shattering of a colossal glass wall, the veil of chimera crumbled to the floor and he **remembered**.

Images then sped across his eyes like a reel of film: torn sheet-rock and disrupted floor-boards, an ANBU watching from a tree, a silver needle with crystalline liquid, Sai's blurred face peering down at him, an eerie red glow radiating from his hands, a perfect seal, bloody rain and bloody grass and Sasuke's-

And Sasuke.

It was then that he ripped off the IV's and jolted out of the room, ignoring the blaring alarms of the disconnected wires. His skin stung with every movement and his body ached, but _fuck _he didn't care because Sasuke...

Stumbling into the hall, he was immediately met by several nurses who had met him half-way either from the alarms, or because distress was radiating as he burst from his room.

"Where is Uchiha Sasuke?" He blurted to the first one he met.

"Please go back to your room, Uzumaki Naruto. You are still injured."

Cursing under his breath, he brushed past her and dodged the next one as he made his way down the hall. Blinking the lights out of his eyes from the pain, he skidded to a halt in front of the front desk.

"Where is Uchiha Sasuke?" He snapped harshly, though unintentionally. He must have scared her, because she nervously glanced up from her paperwork before mumbling a quick "Notify Haruno-san" to a passing nurse.

"Is he alive?" Naruto reiterated impatiently.

"I'm not allowed to reveal patient informa-"

"The hell your not." He warned darkly, cutting her off abruptly. He was being uncharacteristically rude, but he couldn't afford to delay this. Not if his suspicion was true, and the feeling of his arm through Sasuke's chest was just imaginary.

"I'm sorry, but that is classified information. If you wish to-"

Before she could finish, however, Naruto cursed openly and pushed himself away from the desk. With people clearing from the halls, Naruto stumbled down the hallway before stopping in front of the elevator. Before he could press the "down" button, however, the door slid open revealing a cool and collected Sakura.

"Naruto, calm down." She spoke firmly.

"Where is he? "

"Come with me." She replied shortly. Grabbing his wrist, she led him into the first empty patient room along the wall and shut the door behind her.

"Is he okay?" He snapped, not waiting for her to turn around.

"He's stable." She commented. He would have allowed relief to wash over him if it weren't for the hesitancy that Sakura spoke with.

"But that's...not all."

"Naruto he...he's comatose." She replied, wording it carefully to reduce the impact.

She could have sworn he stopped breathing.

"How-" He began, trying to suppress the emotion that wanted to explode. "How long has he-?"

"Seven days." She replied as his countenance visibly plummeted. She must have anticipated his reaction, however, because she immediately followed-up with an explanation: "But it's only been a week, Naruto. This is a normal time-frame for the level of damage he sustained."

Her explanation fell on deaf ears, however, because Naruto's fists clenched tightly as his eyes fell into shadow. If Naruto had ever been "scary" to her, she acknowledged that this is probably what it would have looked like.

"I told you guys not to mess with this." He spoke in absolute white fury. At some point, he had started to shake. "Why did you guys- dammit, why didn't you guys _listen_!"

"You knew what we would do if you tried to run, Naruto. Sasuke knew what the risks were and he did it anyway because you didn't seek help!" She shouted, her previous wariness turning into anger.

"Because I knew the risks too, dammit! Why didn't you guys back the hell off when I _**told**_ you something like this would happen!" Naruto then shouted, and Sakura fought back the urge to punch him across the face. Before she could reply, however, the door whirred open revealing the shadowy figure of Sai.

"You." Naruto spoke darkly as he advanced on Sai. Sai, eyes now narrowed with resolve, simply stood his ground as Naruto shoved him against the door. "You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone! If I had known you were going to be that fucking unreliable, I would have left your ass here two years ago!"

Sai, who more-or-less expected this level of anger, simply waited for the maelstrom to subside. Sakura, however, was not as submissive:

"If it weren't for Sai, you'd be _dead_ Naruto!"

"If it weren't for Sai, Sasuke would be okay!" He rounded on her.

"And _why_ is your life any less valuable than Sasuke's?" She barked in angry annoyance.

"Because my life is not my own!" He barked, and she was instantly rendered speechless. The room dropped into deafening silence as both she, Sai and Naruto stood on defense. After a few minutes, Naruto spoke up again, though with less anger and more regret:

"I share my life with a demon, Sakura." His voice cracked, but he spoke up anyway: "By saving me, you've brought the Kyuubi back from the dead as well. What I've done to Sasuke...I now can do to _anyone_." He whispered the last part.

Sakura watched in stunned silence as he slowly stepped backwards towards the door. Sai moved away as Naruto grabbed the handle and pushed it open; all the while holding his severely troubled eyes onto her own.

"You may have spared my life, but you've endangered everyone else's. How can that be worth-it?"

She didn't have an answer, but the click of the door closing indicated that Naruto didn't expect one to begin with. she instinctively stepped forward, but was halted by Sai's hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go. He needs time."

_Crawling, then walking, then running and sweating. Forgetting. Lying and cheating, aiding and abetting. Forgetting. Itching and scratching, punching and hitting. Forgetting. Spellbound and hell-bound, and caught in the netting. Forgetting." - __Forgetting__, David Gray_

(THE NEXT DAY)

**On day one**, most people who inquired about Naruto were told to leave him be. Kakashi, who was a regular god of Patience, forewarned everybody that alone-time and quality-thinking usually worked wonders for those who never practiced them. Tsunade had initially ordered Naruto to be kept in the hospital, but later decided against it after a brief conversation with Sai about the heated confrontation. Sakura had been too unwilling to talk about what had happened, but Tsunade inwardly decided that "unwilling" probably meant "hurt" if Sai's report were true.

After word spread of their wild confrontation in the hospital, Sakura was carefully approached by several of the Rookie Nine inquiring if it was true. When her only response was an awkward nod, they would leave with a few words of sugary encouragement, but they knew as well as Sakura that Naruto had never been this lost.

With a emotionally-wounded Sakura, reclusive Sai, distraught Naruto and comatose Sasuke, many of the Rookie Nine left Team Seven to heal and resumed their daily lives as best they could. Some of the older shinobi reassured them that all Team Seven needed was time to "get their minds right."

"Somehow, I don't think it will be that easy." Ino had said one afternoon. When Shikamaru merely lit a cigarette and made no effort to reply, she figured he thought the same thing.

When day one proved to be a stand-still, many of them re-scheduled themselves for missions. They were distracting at best.

**On day two**, Naruto had stayed in his apartment for the entirety of the day - an incredibly uncharacteristic behavior for someone of Naruto's energy level. Around noon, Konohamaru had knocked on the door, but had eventually left after ten minutes of unproductive waiting. Several other people had stopped by as well, but no one else had bother to reveal themselves.

That night, Neji had seen Naruto disappear into the shadows down one of Konoha's streets. At first he thought it was aimless walking and decided against following the younger boy, but his interest perked when he heard the small scrape of a gate opening. Against his better judgment, Neji decided to follow.

He made it a total of forty feet down the same road when he saw the door of the Uchiha manor swing shut. He decided then and there that he would be no help here, because when it came to Uchiha Sasuke, he had never been able to help.

No one had, really.

Casting one last glance, he turned around and went home.

**On day three**, Naruto spent the entire morning and afternoon training in a desolate area of forest. The ANBU had reported activity there, but Tsunade dismissed it when Pakkun identified the trail as Naruto's. Kakashi checked on him one time, but left when he determined his student okay for the time being. He used the term "okay" loosely -but then again, he himself wasn't a shining example of how to deal with grief.

After all, not a day passed that he himself didn't verbally converse with Obito's grave.

After the destruction of sixteen trees, a large plot of land and most of his clothes, Naruto inwardly resolved that there was nothing left there to destroy. When night fell, he shuffled back to his apartment only to find several bags of groceries on the counter, along with a small envelope perched against a vase of flowers. Opening the letter, he read in familiar, feminine handwriting:

_"Room 205"_

Folding the letter carefully, he placed it inside of his pocket, turned off the light, and collapsed onto the bed.

**On day four**, he went back to the Uchiha complex. It was too early for sunlight, but the cheery sound of bird calls against the midnight-blue indicated that it would be there soon.

Stepping into the haunted hallways, Naruto found himself in the same room that he and Sasuke had been in days before. It looked dismal and lifeless, but Naruto acknowledged that that's probably what Sasuke currently looked like, and this house had been a manifestation of Sasuke's feelings for years.

Wading through the rubble, Naruto slid down against the wall and sat amidst the devastated house. His thoughts eventually drifted to Sasuke, but he abandoned them when they projected themselves into the room - the same room that he and Sasuke had been rolling around in, days before, shirtless and sweaty and so unbelievably _raw_.

Reaching for the letter that Sakura had written, he opened it up and read it again. He assumed it was the number of Sasuke's room, and briefly remembered himself stumbling through the hospital begging for it just days before.

_"I was such a jerk." _He thought to himself, remembering the things he had said to Sai and Sakura. She had appeared so hurt, and Sai had taken every insult and accusation like a loyal dog.

He still meant what he said, but suddenly he wished he wouldn't have "meant" it so furiously. Glancing at the note one last time, he folded it and put it back in his jacket.

He hadn't actually gone to see Sasuke yet, but mostly because he knew there wouldn't be much to see. He had spent enough of his life pining for the "real" side of Sasuke - the side that never seemed to be there for long because it was always being replaced by some bizarre alternate copy. It was either a diabolical, bloody-eyed avenger, or a lifeless, comatose shell.

He used to think he would rather see Sasuke dead then as an avenger, but he found himself challenging that statement now because at least Sasuke was _alive_ when he was a monster. He briefly wondered which Sasuke he would pick if he had to choose between the avenger or the shell, but he aborted the thought when he realized he didn't want either of them. At this point, he was unwilling to settle for the lesser of two evils.

He just wanted Sasuke.

"Dammit." He whispered as he drug his hand down his face and slammed the back of his head against the wall, prompting a sheen of dust to blanket his hair. After a few minutes, he laughed bitterly to himself.

"I can live now, and yet...it's like I don't know how anymore."

With the sunlight now streaming through the windows, Naruto closed his eyes and succumbed to vainly-hopeful sleep.

**On day five**, Naruto woke up to the sound of rubble being disrupted. Opening his eyes, he acknowledged that it was probably around midnight judging by the angle of the moonlight hitting the window.

Turning his attention to the door, he was unsurprised when he saw Kakashi duck under the broken door frame and enter the room. He didn't know how he would explain his familiarity with the Uchiha manor, but thankfully Kakashi never pressed for details.

He usually already knew.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked as he surveyed the damage of the room.

"Thinking." Naruto answered.

"Ah." The masked-man replied, placing a hand on his hip. "Where are you?" He asked after a few minutes. Naruto faltered.

"We're...in the Uchiha complex." Naruto spoke slowly and in obvious confusion. He wondered if the question was supposed to be as simple as it sounded.

"...Technically, yes." Kakashi replied blankly. "But where are _**you**_?"

This time, Naruto fell into quiet contemplation when he realized that the question was a thousand times more complicated than he had suspected. Silence fell between the two as Naruto tried to come up with an answer he didn't have.

"I don't know." He finally answered, averting his eyes to the floor.

"I see." Kakashi replied in obvious disappointment. "And where will you go from here?"

"I don't know, Kakashi Sensei." Naruto replied again in the hope that Kakashi would realize how little he was certain of at this point in his life. If he failed to notice, Naruto had hoped he would at least catch on to the fact that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Who are you?" Came the final question, and Naruto blanched. He didn't dare look at his sensei's eyes, but he did reply with the only thing that he was sure of:

"I don't know anymore."

"Me either." Came the reply, and Naruto swore it hurt worse than Sasuke's Chidori had. "I shouldn't have to tell you why everyone did what they did, Naruto. If anyone should understand, it's you."

Turning towards the door, Kakashi cocked his head back towards Naruto and spoke up one last time:

"You don't have to agree with what we did, but at least be fair."

And then he disappeared through the door.

When he heard the front door shut a minute later, Naruto exhaled deeply and leaned his head against the wall.

He didn't _want_ to be fair. He didn't _want_ to admit that he would have done the same thing if it had been one of his friends. He was _unwilling_ to be fair, because if he was honest about all of this, it was like saying that his life meant more to him than his friends' lives, and that had to be selfish, right?

When the answer didn't immediately come, he abandoned it.

Shuffling around in his pocket for the letter, he pulled it out and observed it for the third time. Sighing to himself, he stuffed it back into his pocket, left the Uchiha manor, and made his way to the hospital.

When he arrived in Sasuke's room, he was nervous to say the least. It was too dark to make out the raven's features, but Naruto decided that it was best that way. He didn't want to see Sasuke clearly, because it would be the closest to being dead that Sasuke would ever look.

Plopping down in a chair, Naruto bridged his hands under his nose and observed his eternal rival, best friend and-

He stopped there, and hovered over Sasuke's body.

"You're a bastard. You know that, right?" Naruto commented over the steady beeping of the EKG. "_Why_ are you always such a bastard?"

He observed Sasuke's ebony hair and reluctantly admit to himself that he truly looked captivating; but in a morbid, bizarre way that shouldn't have been relevant at the time, but it _was_ because Sasuke was somehow always able to be brilliant in _every _situation. He felt the age-old jealousy flaring, but stored it for another time when it would be more useful.

"Jerk." Naruto commented, but frowned when Sasuke didn't rise to the challenge.

It was what they had always done. He shifted forward.

"This is just like you. You _would_ spend three years running from me, and only come back when I leave. You _would_ meddle in my business when I tell you not to, then get fucked up because of it. You _would_ leave me here to deal with it alone, because you're Uchiha Sasuke, and you don't know how to care about anything but your damn _self_." He snapped as he felt himself clenching the fabric of the sheet.

Exhaling sharply, Naruto observed Sasuke's hitai-ate and knew what he probably should do with it, but it was what he didn't _want_ to do because it meant that Sasuke was just as gone as he had been three years ago.

"I didn't want this back, bastard." He replied brokenly as he reached behind Sasuke's head and began untying the hitai-ate. He tried to stop the water from brimming in his eyes, but he shook the urgency away when he realized that the only person who would have called him out for it was the only person who couldn't.

"But I have to take it back again, because just like last time, you're in a place that I can't reach." He replied, and ignored the small "plink" of liquid against the metal of the hitai-ate as he slid it out from underneath Sasuke's head. Holding it in his hands, Naruto observed the hideous slash mark that marred the Konoha symbol and instantly remembered when most of his days were spent trying to disprove that slash mark. Allowing the silent tears to fall, Naruto folded the headband and spoke to no one in particular:

"I wanted to live so badly, but not...like this." He replied awkwardly, biting his lip to prevent what he probably would have said. "I didn't want to live without _you_, but _fuck_, that sounds so stupid and _weak._ It sounds like I'm in-"

"Love?"

Snapping his neck at the voice, Naruto halted when he turned to find Sakura standing in the doorway; silent tears rolling from her eyes as well.

"How long have you been there?" He replied, intentionally hiding his face in the shadows.

"Long enough." She replied quietly. An awkward silence fell between the two as they both replayed the theatrics of their fight days before in their mind.

"How did you know?" He asked, averting his eyes to the floor.

"You two have always had every connection that a human being can possibly have with another. It was only a matter of time before..." She trailed off, but he didn't need any more of an explanation. "Is that why you wanted us to let you die? Because you knew it would give you an escape from him?"

"That was...part of it." He replied as he stood up, walked past Sasuke's bed, and peered meaninglessly out the window. He was unsurprised when she appeared next to him.

"What was the other part?"

He exhaled deeply, but spoke up after a few minutes:

"I figured I destroyed our relationship when we...you know." She nodded in understanding, and he was thankful that she was smart enough to deduce what he meant. "I thought he would hate me because of it, but he didn't. He _seemed_ to feel the same way, but he's Uchiha 'fucking' Sasuke. I'll never know how he thinks."

"If you knew he felt the same way, why didn't you fight for it?" She interjected, trying to steer him from the angry insults.

"Because I had an obligation to this village before I had an obligation to myself. I already knew that I needed to die because the fox needed to die. That part was out of the question. It wasn't until I lost control with Sasuke that death became...beneficial."

"I don't understand."

"I knew I needed to die, Sakura. And I knew the second I had a taste of him, I would always want more. Death meant that I didn't have to live long without it. That's why I didn't want anyone to try and save me from this. I'm having to live without it - without _him_, anyway."

"He's not dead, Naruto. Have faith in him." She replied a little too defensively, though more for Sasuke's sake than her own. Naruto may have already classified him as deceased, but she wasn't ready to do the same. Not yet.

Silence fell between the two at that, leaving only the dull hum of the medical machines to fill the gap.

She would never apologize for saving him, but she didn't know how she _did_ feel, because saving his life had rendered Sasuke's obsolete. As she saw the moonlight reflected in Naruto's cobalt orbs, she resolved that their conversation had shown her that she really didn't need Sasuke and Naruto in the way they needed each other.

She would think on it later, but for now, she was okay with where she was.

She was pulled from her thoughts, however, as Naruto faced her shyly with a frown.

"Listen, I...I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I was an asshole the other day. You don't have to forgi-"

"Do you want to get something to eat?" She asked with a smile, interrupting his monologue before it could start. His eyes slightly bulged in surprise, but he found himself smiling back.

"Yeah. That'd be awesome."

**On day nine**, Naruto found himself atop the Hokage monument. The sun was setting, but that had always been the best time.

Things had seemed to brighten since his talk with Sakura. He had managed to put on a smile for a few of the Rookie Nine - a generated smile, but he was trying, nonetheless. He had agreed to speak with Tsunade about his health, and was grateful she didn't press for more personal details.

Most of his friends were on missions, but the one's that weren't felt comfortable enough to leave notes and food in his apartment. Sometimes, he would feel the urge to run a hundred miles out of pure ecstasy when he remembered that he was alive and well. For the past two years, death was all that he couldn't escape from, and the joy he felt every time he caught a glimpse of his narrowed whisker-marks in the mirror was enough to constitute unbridled joy.

Except it hadn't gotten to that point, because Sasuke was still in a coma.

It had been seventeen days since Sasuke was declared comatose. Seventeen days, but to Naruto it had felt like decades. He had visited Sasuke every night after the first, but found it never got any easier, simply because Sasuke never got any better. Tsunade had informed him that seventeen days was normal for severely injured comatose patients, but Naruto wasn't convinced.

Although things weren't as bad, he found that he wasn't ready to know the details of what exactly had happened on that day. He found out from Sakura that Shikamaru had worked with Sai to conspire the plan. Shikamaru had gone on a mission, and he felt too guilty and angry to deal with Sai.

On the seventh night, he stupidly pulled Sasuke's shirt up to see the grotesque scar that splayed out under the bandages. It wasn't the severity of the scar that shocked him, but rather the placement. The scar that he had given Sasuke was in the exact spot as the one that Sasuke had given him. He felt sick, and left the hospital that night feeling pissed off.

Feeling the wind rustling his hair, Naruto studied the way the sunlight bathed the village in orange. He loved orange.

"Can I talk to you?" Came a voice, and Naruto instantly identified it as Sai's. Cocking his head slightly to the side, he was unsurprised when the darker boy appeared next to him. After a few minutes of contemplative staring, Sai spoke up:

"Do you hate me?" Came the question.

"I...don't think I can." Naruto replied. He had more-or-less been anticipating this conversation for days.

"Do you trust me?"

"No." Naruto replied, not bothering to cushion the answer.

"Understandable." Sai simply stated. After a few minutes, he turned away and began walking back.

"Yes." Naruto called after him, prompting him to yield. When Sai sent him a confused look, Naruto backtracked and spoke up again: "I mean, not as much as I used to, but you get what I'm trying to say..." He trailed off.

"You don't have to trust me, Naruto. I betrayed your loyalty. Morally, you shouldn't trust me at all."

"I know that, but, I would have done the same thing if you had been in my place. A promise means nothing if-"

"-if the person means more." Sai interjected, and Naruto silently agreed.

"Are you in love with him?" The darker boy asked, and Naruto felt his breathing hitch.

He figured his shock must have reverberated across the village, but he thanked the gods in that moment that Konohamaru abruptly appeared in front of them in a puff of smoke; sweating and struggling to catch his breath.

Before Naruto could ask for an audible explanation, Konohamaru began speaking through labored breaths.

"Hokage-sama told me to come find you, Naruto. She said Sasuke-san is awake."

(END CHAPTER)

First of all, before I say anything about this chapter, I just want my prayers and support to be known to all of my readers from Japan and the areas devastated by the earthquakes. I encourage ALL anime/manga fans to pray/support ALL of Japan, and not just the people behind the manga/anime industry. If you can't donate to the Red Cross (It's only ten dollars, and it was so easy. I already did) then show your support by being patient with the anime/manga industry. My heart goes out to Japan. :(

Second of all, I would like to direct everyone to this AWESOME fanart that Deadspeak5 drew for my story. I am SO honored by this, and people can never know how truly honored and grateful I am when people draw pictures for me. It seriously brightens my day. For some reason, the links I post never work, so I'm going to direct everyone to go to Deadspeak5's Deviantart account. The picture is titled "Naruto for DaisyTango". I am SO thankful for gifts like this! :D

Thirdly, I am sincerely sorry for how long it took me to get this chapter out, but I can safely say this is one of THE most difficult chapters I've ever had to write. Ever. I wanted it to be significantly longer than the others because I wanted to cover a lot of ground, but I kept delaying it and delaying it. That being said, the next chapter should be out considerably sooner than this one, and I hope you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me! This chapter was actually very emotional to me, because I realized that there will only be one (possibly two) more chapters to go until this story is completely done. I'm going to try and write back to you all if I can, and please know I am so grateful to all of you for sticking it out with me since 2009. :)


	23. Author Update

Update April 29th, 2011

Hey guys, I know you probably saw a "Chapter Update" in your e-mail inbox and are now mad because this is not, at all, a chaper update.

That being said, I feel this is just as important. You guys are very faithful and encouraging when it comes to "Cruel Irony", so I feel I owe you an explanation for my lack of chapter updates. I've received several e-mails about my lack of updates, and I'll take this opportunity to clear the air.

Initially, I procrastinated on writing Cruel Irony just out of sheer and tragic laziness. I know that's not fair to you guys, and I truly apologize for that. I had plans to start writing the next chapter at the beginning of this week, but unfortunately, my mom had a stroke. She has undergone emergency surgery to fix the issue and has no permanent damage, but she will be out of work for the next two weeks. Essentially, this means I will probably have to delay the next chapter a little longer due to the chaotic atmosphere around my house right now.

As many of you may or may not know, the next chapter of Cruel Irony is slated to be the last chapter. It saddens me greatly, because I've been writing it since 2009 even though it feels like only a few months. Because you all have been so faithful, I promise that the next chapter will be considerably longer than all previous chapters. You may have to wait longer, but it will be three times better.

Again, I am SO sorry that I've been unfaithful, but I promise to return within the next two weeks (possibly even earlier). Until then, I hope you guys can wait for me and forgive me for my disloyalty.

Until then, - DaisyTango


	24. Cruel Irony: Chapter 23 Cruel Irony

_"Close enough to start a war. All that I have is on the floor. God only knows what we're fighting for. All that I say, you always say more. I can't keep up with your turning tables. Under your thumb I can't breathe. So I won't let you close enough to hurt me. I can't give you what you think you give me."- _Turning Tables, Adele

(PREVIOUSLY)

_He figured his shock must have reverberated across the village, but he thanked the gods in that moment that Konohamaru abruptly appeared in front of them in a puff of smoke; sweating and struggling to catch his breath._

_Before Naruto could ask for an audible explanation, Konohamaru began speaking through labored breaths._

_"Hokage-sama told me to come find you, Naruto. She said Sasuke-san is awake._"

(CURRENT)

"When did he...?" Naruto asked as shock, relief and anger buzzed wildly in his mind.

"I don't know, sometime this morning. I was told to let you know immediately. Let's go." Konohamaru replied through labored breaths.

Sai, who was somewhat wary of how he was supposed to approach this, nodded curtly to the blond as if to confirm that seeing Sasuke would, indeed, be the right thing to do despite everything.

Sai was more then explicitly aware that Naruto was pissed off. So angry, in fact, that he had grounded himself into willful and determined isolation. Naruto was too dependent upon people to provide him with everything, so resigning himself to any kind of isolation meant that he was emotionally torn over where he should actually stand on how the village deceived him. Any other person would have accepted things for what they were, and would have at least tried to consider everything. Unfortunately for Naruto, however, he wasn't just anybody. He never considered fairness in the way he handled his affairs.

In reality, Naruto wanted to scream at Sasuke for what he had done. He wanted to punch, kick, fight, scold, piss off and _hurt_ Sasuke for doing exactly what he asked him not to do -which, if he thought about it, was just another way of implying that he wanted to blame Sasuke for doing what he himself had done to Sasuke for three years. But he wasn't going to think about it, just like he had never thought about it before: Because if he did think about it like that, he would actually have to acknowledge that he was a hypocrite.

"Damn." Naruto remarked in frustration as he dragged his hand down his face. Konohamaru sent Sai a questioning look, but Sai returned it with a curt nod.

"Fine. Just...let me think for a second." Naruto replied in relief and frustration at the same time.

Despite Naruto's anger, though, Sai knew that Sasuke's anger equally matched Naruto's. The Uchiha had made it very clear that he was unhappy with Naruto's choice to hide the severity of his situation, but had probably considered himself too amoral to demand anything else of Naruto. Maybe it had been guilt. Maybe it had even been Sasuke trying to prove to Naruto that he was capable of letting things go in the way Naruto had never been willing to - but if that _were_ the case, Sasuke had failed miserably as he always had when it came to trying to prove anything to Naruto. When Sasuke had learned of the danger that Naruto was really in, he had ended up being too prideful and selfish to spare Naruto the wrath that he had no right to have.

They both had been, and it was how they always did things.

_"Uchiha and Naruto,"_ Sai concluded _"really need to start following their own rules."_

He wasn't an expert on friendships, and he certainly wasn't the best person to be passing judgment on any kind of relationship, but Sai knew that Sasuke and Naruto were customizing the rules to themselves, yet expecting the other to uphold the entire law. It wasn't right. It couldn't be.

Breaking from his reverie, Sai blinked in confusion as Naruto and Konohamaru bounded past him him and off of the Hokage Monument. Exhaling loudly, he quickly turned and began to spring after them when he came to a full stop.

Watching their silhouetted figures fade away below him, Sai allowed himself to wonder whether he belonged anywhere in this reunion.

He was the sufficient placeholder. The unconvincing replacement. The friend by default. The repair that shouldn't have been necessary. The neutral ground between separating two malicious armies.

All of that, but was he part of this reunion?

"I don't belong in this." He thought as the wind brushed his hair across his eyes. "This is...their thing."

Sai decided - that for a while, at least - he would stay there and just think.

(SCENE CHANGE)

"Does he remember anything that happened?" Naruto called back to Konohamaru. They had now been traveling for fifteen minutes, though it felt much longer to Konohamaru as Naruto's usually happy exterior took a dark turn.

"I'm not sure exactly. Hokage-sama informed me that no brain damage was sustained, so I imagine he either remembers it all, or will remember most of it in time."

"Hm." Came Naruto's reply as he fell into silent contemplation and stewing anger. Sasuke had been comatose, so demanding an explanation from him about the entire fiasco had been out of the question. Though he was happy beyond all human comprehension that Sasuke was himself again, Naruto had willfully rendered himself completely obsolete to handling this in a rational way.

He wanted to hurdle terrible memories and bitter accusations in the Uchiha's face. He wanted to inflict some kind of emotional damage, because if he didn't, Sasuke would be willing to risk his life again, and that was more than Naruto was willing to handle. He wanted Sasuke to understand how **_not_** okay this was.

After a few more minutes of traveling, he and Konohamaru came to a stop in front of the hospital.

"He's been transferred to an outpatient room. Room 193, I believe."

"Thanks kid." Naruto replied shortly as he made his way into the building.

"And Naruto-"

He turned around and focused his attention on Konohamaru, whose face looked far too mature and serious to be the brat that he knew three years ago. With intensely grave eyes, Konohamaru spoke up:

"I don't know...how you're planning to handle this, and it's not my business to care anyway. But before you say anything, consider everything first. That's what my grandfather always told me."

"Yeah." Naruto replied slowly and in obvious affection. From Konohamaru, it was a surprisingly poignant thing to say.

Making his way through the lobby, Naruto dodged nameless and faceless people as he made his way to the elevator. Pressing the button for the right floor, he leaned his head back against the wall and exhaled loudly. When he heard the "ding" of his floor being signaled, he briskly walked through and mentally noted the room numbers until he halted in front of Room 193.

_**Can you handle this?**_

He heard muffled voices behind the door and observed the shadows of their feet shuffling under the door.

_**Can you handle this the right way?**_

Turning the nob, Naruto entered the blinding room and felt a crushing sense of relief when he briefly glanced Sasuke and saw that he was, indeed, alive and well.

_**Can you handle yourself?**_

Turning around at the sound of the door being opened, Sakura and Tsunade met Naruto's eyes. Glancing at Tsunade, Sakura broke the ice and spoke up with cheery animation:

"Naruto, Sasuke's awake!" She tried. He could tell she was genuinely happy by the glittery expression in her eyes, but the gravely serious expression in Sasuke's matched his own feelings.

"I know, Sakura-chan! I'm so..." When he stalled, Tsunade cleared her throat and spoke up awkwardly:

"Sakura, would you mind helping me with something in my office?"

"Sure." Sakura replied weakly, her cheery disposition dissolving into guarded wariness. Naruto didn't look at them as they brushed past him - the only thing signaling there departure being a soft "click" as the door locked behind them.

"Happy." Naruto finished in complete hostility. Sasuke, as usual, sustained a facial expression that nearly paralleled his own.

After what seemed a small, white-hot eternity of simple staring, Naruto began to seriously consider what he could say to Sasuke that wouldn't lead to total and uncontainable verbal warfare. Before he could string something together, however, Sasuke broke the silence:

"You're a fucking _masochist_." Sasuke replied in bridled fury, and Naruto swore he could kill Sasuke then and there. If chains were holding him back, Sasuke had completely unhinged them in two seconds flat. If that's what he wanted, he would bring it, then.

**Shatter.**

"_Me_? You challenged the most dangerous demon in existence, by yourself, after I fucking _told_ you not to do shit to me, and yet _I'm_ the masochist? No, you are godammned _impossible, _Sasuke!"

With this, Naruto watched in complete fury as Sasuke tore the sheets off his bed, knocked the IV pole onto the floor, and appeared in front of his face with the most livid energy that Naruto had ever seen Sasuke convey. If their were imagery to describe their interaction, it would be two wild dogs squaring off in a metal cage. Foaming at the mouth, animalistic, and so impossibly furious.

"Don't you fucking _dare_ blame me or anyone for this! You have demanded that I respect our ridiculous 'bond' since the day I left this fucking village, and yet you have never once been willing to follow the rules of your own game!"

**Defend.**

Naruto felt himself balk in fury.**  
**

"Every rule that I ever broke was to protect the people that were important to me! Every rule that you broke was for your own damn self! _Sasuke's_ revenge, _Sasuke's_ redemption, _Sasuke's_ quest to make _Sasuke_ feel better. Everything I've lied about was to protect all of you!"

Before he could continue, Naruto felt the wind knocked out of him as Sasuke shoved him into the wall with ridiculous speed and force. He heard a picture frame clatter to the floor and a vase of flowers tip over, but he remained focused on Sasuke's insane eyes with every intent to smack down every accusation that was hurdled at him, whether there was a good defense or not.

"You are a sick fuck with no sense of respect for anything but your own morals. You may be a hero to these people, Naruto, but you have never been a hero to me. _Never_. "

**Misunderstanding.**

"The fuck? I don't want to be your hero, Sasuke! I just want you to trust in _something_ that I do!"

Naruto felt his eyes go into shadow as Sasuke leaned in dangerously close to his face; darkness and pure malice radiating dangerously around the room.

"Can you honestly say that you would be this understanding if our roles had been reversed, Naruto? If I was the one dying by the fox, would you be willing to see the 'good' in my sacrifice? Could you just 'trust' that I was doing the right thing as you watched my body burn?"

**Cornered.**

And with that implication, Naruto was totally and completely rendered speechless. Once again, Sasuke had pinned him for what he really was and had trapped him inside the cage of his words. Yes, if Sasuke had been the one dying, he would have done the exact same thing. He would have given a "flying fuck" what Sasuke thought about any of it.. He wouldn't have let Sasuke concede to death the way he had, even if it meant saving a village from the threat of a demon.

But it was different. They were different.

"Fuck you. Do you know what I would have done if I had killed you, Sasuke?" Naruto then asked abruptly, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed with the unexpected change of subject. He scanned Naruto's face for some enlightenment, but spoke up when it never came:

"No."

"Me either." Came the reply, and the silence took a sub-arctic temperature as Naruto's words fell into complete sobriety. "That's the difference between you and me in all of this, Sasuke. You have cut me out of your life in more ways than I can count - fuck, more _times_ than I can count, and you've always been able to function without me." He stopped, and looked awkwardly at a spot on the floor and continued: "But I have never been able to accept a life without you in it, and I still can't. I know you would be willing to live your life without me because you've done it before. If I _had_ killed you, I'm not sure I could do the same. That's why you and I can't be interchanged in this scenario. It's different. You never needed me in order to keep on going." He replied blankly, and felt as if he had lived 100 years of his life through that paragraph alone.

Naruto, who merely observed the other side of the room under a half-lidded gaze, could only wait for Sasuke to contradict this sentiment, but knew that he was too numb to Sasuke's warfare at that point to be truly affected if he didn't deny any of it. It didn't matter, though. He was and would always be willing to take Sasuke for what he was.

Time - too much of it - passed as Naruto buckled up for the rebuttal he stopped expecting years ago.

To his surprise, Sasuke, who still hovered a few inches from his face, averted his gaze to the door and spoke up in angry resolution.

"When I was speaking to the Kyuubi, there was a moment when he insinuated that if he wanted to kill you, no one would be able to stop him. In that moment, I could have killed him in the same way that I have killed every other person in my life who has taken something from me. Itachi, because he took my family. Orochimaru, because he took my dignity. And the Kyuubi, because he implied he would take you."

"Sasuke, you don't have to -"

"No, this is what you want, isn't it? Since you need this level of reassurance, let me take this opportunity to tell you where I actually stand!" He barked angrily, and Naruto felt like biting back just as hard. Of course Sasuke would choose this time to have a damn confessional. Of course he would. "When you first got here, I didn't want to ask where you had been because I felt I didn't have the right to care anymore. But when you and I were alone in my house and I saw you on my floor, all I wanted to do was fuck you. When Hokage-sama told me how sick you really were, all I wanted was to kill you myself for not being honest with me. Then, when I had to tear you apart in that field just to get you to regain control again, all I wanted to do was cry, because like usual, I was abusing you in every way possible, and yet you were still so damn _receptive_ to me."

"Stop. This isn't necessary." Naruto barked, but was shut down as Sasuke slammed his fist across the wall.

"You're right. I don't _need_ you in my life, Naruto. I can _function_ without you. But would I _want_ to? **Fuck** no, and it pisses me off that I have to say it." Naruto simply watched in shock as Sasuke scanned his eyes up and down his body and blanched in total disgust. "Everything about you pisses me off. Your shitty eyes that I saw everywhere my first year in Sound. Your ridiculous pranks, your obnoxious enthusiasm, your hair, your teeth, your fighting style. All of it." It was now that Sasuke braced his arms on both sides of Naruto's head and frowned angrily. "You piss me off, Naruto, because you are a constant reminder that I failed at loving no one."

Naruto felt his heart beat fast as Sasuke's breath bounced off of his cheeks, and ignored the prickling sensation of his hair against his neck.

"I will _never_ fucking apologize for that." Naruto spat in total confidence. Before he could continue, however, a short growl escaped Sasuke's mouth as his teeth smashed into Naruto's, and they were instantly submerged in something that felt too damn good to be real.

For the first time in what felt like years, they were doing what they had known was against there better judgment. They were fighting for dominance and so blissfully unaware. Naruto briefly heard the clatter of equipment and papers being knocked onto the floor, but ignored it as Sasuke shoved his hands up his shirt and tore at the skin.

Backing even further into the wall, Naruto grunted as Sasuke pinned his arms high above his head and moved his tongue around every square inch of Naruto's mouth, demanding for more as he ground Naruto into the wall. Taking control of the situation, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt and shoved him into the opposing wall, where he tore Sasuke's shirt in half. Kissing, biting and licking his neck, Naruto made his way down Sasuke's torso and felt himself smirk as the Uchiha gasped for every centimeter lower that he went. As he dipped his tongue in and out of his navel, Naruto grunted as Sasuke grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked it backwards so that he was staring up at Sasuke from the floor.

Naruto watched in morbid curiosity as Sasuke carefully dropped to his knees, and kissed him slowly into the floor as his body hovered protectively over. It was now that Naruto stopped and simply stared into the darker boys eyes for the first time.

"We are so fucked up. From the very start, we were bound to screw ourselves up." Naruto commented as Sasuke's breath bounced against his chest.

"It's cruel irony."

"What does that even mean?" Naruto asked, and ignored the obvious eye-roll.

"An outcome of events that was contrary to what was expected."

Naruto briefly paused and thought about what that statement meant and how it applied to them. It occurred to him, then, that there was no point in looking for an answer if the question didn't have one.

"Somehow, I think I'm okay with that."

"Hn."

**I agree.**

(END STORY)

OMG this is so late! To apologize, I will be writing a prologue to this!

Anyway, I just want to take this time to thank ALL of my reviewers who have stuck with me since 2009. This story has seen some major ups and downs, but I am proud of what it is and hoep to bring you better stories in the future. I'm sad that it's come to an end, but this only means that I can start newer and better stories.

Until then, I hope you all enjoy this last chapter!


	25. Epilogue: The Way We Were

_"And I think to myself...what a wonderful world."_

**Five Months Later:**

"Bastard!" Kiba barked as he lunged forward down the hallway. Naruto, who was running a few feet in front of him, found himself half-stumbling, half-laughing as he tore down one of the hallways in the Hokage tower. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that!" Kiba yelled as he chased after the wild blond, Akamaru barking madly behind him.

"I don't look like one, though! The same can't be said of you!" Naruto called back as he raced down the corridor. He laughed to himself as Kiba, who was currently drenched in water, sprawled after him. Akamaru, who currently sported a markered-on mustache, glasses and beard, fumbled clumsily behind.

It was just supposed to be a small prank, you see. The night before, Kiba had beat he, Shikamaru, Neji, and Chouji in a Saki shot-competition fair-and-square. It was a surprise to everyone, considering TenTen was usually the victor. Neji was too proud to allow his "good judgment" to be impaired, so he usually dropped out after the fifth shot (meaning that he didn't want to appear foolish in front of anyone.) Ino and Sakura always denied participating; Sakura because she usually had to work third shift, and Ino because it was simply too "classless" to join in on. The usual winner, TenTen, was away on a mission, so the final two came to Naruto and Kiba. Everyone else was either too young, too proud, or too much of a lightweight to win. When it came down to the last round, after a small bought of table-dancing, Naruto had collapsed hideously onto the floor after his 19th shot as Kiba choked down his 20th. In all of his cheating, dirty, illegitimate glory, Kiba had been pronounced that weeks winner.

Except not really, as Naruto had discovered earlier that day on a routine visit to Tsunade, when he stumbled upon Akamaru lying completely inebriated on the third floor of the Hokage tower with a pitiful bowl of water in front of his face; smelling heavily of alcohol. Though his memory of the night before was murky and dotted with images of table-dancing and weak threats, he had managed to remember Akamaru sneaking under the table around their ninth shots. Adding all this up and judging by the current status of the ninja-hound, Naruto concluded that Kiba had probably given Akamaru at least five of his Saki shots.

Grinning, Naruto had quickly run into a vacated office and grabbed a permanent black marker off of one of the office desks to his right. In spiteful laughter, he claimed his vengeance on Kiba in the form of a beautifully-drawn masterpiece on Akamaru's face.

Kiba had taken it hard, of course. Naruto had expected it to happen. That was the point of revenge, right?

Before he could finish his masterpiece, however, Kiba had walked out of the library with a book on alcohol poisoning, only to discover Naruto vandalizing his companion in the form of an inky black marker. In anger, Kiba chucked the book straight at Naruto's head, which prompted Naruto to step backwards and right onto the tail of the sleeping dog. What he hadn't expected, however, was for the sleeping dog to jerk into attack mode and pounce on top of the bowl of water with his hind legs; thus causing a water-bomb to be sent straight for Kiba's face.

Naruto had wanted to be apologetic at first, but when he saw Kiba, drenched in water with a face of pure shock plastered onto his face, along with an incredibly lethal ninja-hound sporting a smudgy beard and glasses, Naruto found it hard to be apologetic.

So instead, he laughed. Really hard.

Which led up to the current theatrics of Naruto high-tailing it down to the first floor of the Hokage tower with Kiba and Akamaru hot on his tail.

"Gotcha!" Kiba yelled as he grasped the thin edge of Naruto's shirt. It didn't last long, though, as Naruto grabbed the railing of the stairwell and jumped gracefully onto the floor below. Glancing backwards, he laughed out-loud as Kiba tripped on the stairwell with Akamaru trampling over his back. He stopped.

"Wow, Kiba. When did you become so talented? You must be a ninja or something." Naruto commented sarcastically as he stood condescendingly over Kiba's sprawled body. "Bask in my shadow, mutt. How does it feel?" Naruto whispered as he bent low to Kiba's ear. He quickly broke into a run, however, as Kiba slapped the ground, swiped at his left pant leg, and lunged after him.

"You'll pay for this, Uzumaki!" Kiba barked.

Turning a corner, Naruto blanched as a door along one of the hallways opened in front of him, revealing Sakura carrying a tray of food, and Ino carrying a large assortment of flowers.

"Naruto?" Sakura called as as he flew past them at break-neck speed.

"Sorry guys! Kind of busy!" He called back as he disappeared around a sharp corner. Ino and Sakura, who were at a loss for words, simply looked at each other in confusion and began walking down the hallway after him. Ino hoisted the huge bunch of Roses into her arms as Sakura steadied the tray of food.

"What was that about?" Ino asked, glancing nervously down the other end of the hallway. "Who knows." Sakura replied, still trying meticulously to balance the tray of food and water. "It's Naruto. Anything is possi-"

But before she could continue, both girls were knocked completely over as Akamaru barreled through their legs, and rampaged down the end of the hallway after Naruto. Ino, whose flowers now laid in a pitiful, scattered mess around the hallway, could only glare in shock at Sakura, who was completely covered in food, petals and water.

But before anything at all could be asked or explained, both girls abruptly ducked in fear as Kiba ran up from behind, sprung over them, and barreled down the hallway after Naruto and Akamaru.

"Get back here, Uzumaki!" He roared.

It was now, as both girls surveyed their wet clothes, food-covered hair and damaged flowers, that they both looked at each other in awe.

_"This. Was. My. Best. Dress." _Sakura ground out in fury as Ino held a few lifeless petals in her hands. "Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura screamed as she burst forward into a run with Ino following behind. They didn't need an explanation to know that whatever had happened, it was undoubtedly Naruto's fault.

(On the floor below them)

"You do understand, Uchiha, that if we sign the deed over to you, all payments for the complex will have to be paid by you, on a monthly basis, starting immediately."

"I understand, Hokage." Sasuke replied as he signed his name on the deed for the Uchiha Manor. His probation had officially ended Six months before, and after spending Three of those months as an independent citizen of Konoha, Sasuke had been allowed to resume complete ownership of the Uchiha Manor.

"Well, I guess its official." Tsunade commented as she filed the document into a filing cabinet. "You are now the legal owner of the Uchiha Complex. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Sasuke commented professionally. Before he could turn to leave, however, he was stopped by a hand placed gently on his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with a softer side of Tsunade than he had ever seen.

"I know this is personal and probably a little unprofessional, but I just want to say that I'm proud of you, Sasuke." Tsunade remarked confidently, using his name for the first time ever.

Though he was slightly taken aback at first, Sasuke merely returned her gesture with a genuine smirk.

"Thanks."

(Back to the Madness)

"Somethings coming." Shikamaru commented quickly as he shut the book he was reading and stood up from the table. Sai, who was currently being trained under Shikamaru, stood up as well and carefully listened. They were both in the second floor library discussing research on war tactics, when the ceiling above them began to slightly quake. "Hm." Shikamaru commented as he placed his ear to the door while Sai analyzed the shaky ceiling.

The faint rumble became louder as both boys opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

"Run!" Came a voice from the side as Naruto whizzed past them.

"Naruto?" Sai asked, but was completely drowned-out as Akamaru barreled past them; barking hysterically and skidding around the corner.

Both boys fell into silent confusion.

"Was it just me, or did Akamaru...have a beard?" Shikamaru asked in disbelief. Before Sai could form some kind of reasonable answer, however, both boys slightly ducked inside as Kiba flew past; sloshing droplets of water through the air and yelling obscenities all the way.

"Kiba!" Shikamaru called after him, but to no avail as the wild boy ducked around the same distant corner that Naruto and Akamaru had disappeared around. Stepping completely into the hallway now, both Sai and Shikamaru turned around when they heard footsteps approaching quickly from behind.

Both boys twisted and jumped to opposite ends of the hallway as the irate bodies of Ino and Sakura came charging down the hallway as well; trampling everything in their wake. Upon observing the flower petals and bits of food plastered on their clothes and hair, Shikamaru sprang forward, grabbed Ino's shoulder and spun her around to face him.

"What's going o-" He tried, but was quickly cut off.

"Naruto." Ino seethed in fury as she twisted out of his grasp, and continued her rampage down the hallway. In obvious fear, he took his now floating hand out of the air and turned towards Sai, who was wiping bits of food and water off of his face. (Most likely thrown there by the tornado-like hysterics of the two kunoichi flying past.) As quickly as it had happened, the rumbling died down and the hallway became still again. After a few seconds of confused, speechless interaction, Sai turned towards Shikamaru.

"Should we see what's wrong?"

"Troublesome." Shikamaru mumbled as they both ran down the hall after the others.

(Back With Tsunade)

"That should be all. I'll let you know when the contractor stops by." Tsunade commented as she locked her office door shut behind her. "Anyway, how's the idiot? He was supposed to stop by and see me. He needs to refill his prescription." She commented as her keys jingled against the doorknob. Sasuke fiddled with a kunai and flipped it back into his belt.

"He's-"

"SHH." Tsunade abruptly whispered, cutting him off in the process. She held her hand in front of him while scanning the surrounding hallway with her eyes. "Do you feel that?" She asked carefully.

"Yeah." Sasuke commented as he subconsciously brushed his fingers over his katana. As captain of the ANBU, it was his job to protect the Hokage in all circumstances, and the rush of mixed chakras flying at them indicated that now was a good time to resume that role. Instinctively, he stepped in front of the Hokage as the rumbling grew louder and closer, and the plaster from the ceiling tiles fell in powder-trails at the tremors above them.

Both he and Tsunade jolted into defense position, however, as the sound of crazed footsteps trampled down the stairwell at the other end of the hallway. Springing forward, Sasuke was suddenly rendered immobile as a wild, yellow flash appeared at the bottom step.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked in disbelief, grasping the boys shirt and stopping him in his tracks.

"Uh...I can explain." Came the quick reply as Naruto craned his neck around the Uchiha to observe the stairwell.

"Good. Start now."

"Duck!" Naruto suddenly barked as he dropped to his knees while Sasuke sprang to the side of the hallway and tore a kunai out of his belt with every intention of attacking. He observed in speechless shock, however, as the "attacker" came in the form of Akamaru, who bounded off of the stairwell and tackled Naruto into the ground.

"What the hell?" Sasuke commented as he stepped backwards and watched in confusion as Naruto writhed under the bulky, white dog. His attention was torn from them, however, as Kiba suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairwell as well.

"Sick him, AkamarUNFGH!" Kiba shouted as he suddenly stumbled over Akamaru, and right onto Naruto. Sasuke cast Tsunade a disbelieving look, and was unsurprised to find her return him the same look.

"GRAHHFGH!" Naruto bellowed as Akamaru and Kiba trampled him into the ground. Before Sasuke or Tsunade could intervene, however, they both were torn from the present chaos as more footsteps rumbled down the stairs.

"Naruto, you'll pay for thi-EEEEEE!" Came a chirpy shriek as Sakura and Ino, running at breakneck speeds and looking like wet cats, suddenly toppled over the already-growing pile of people, and fell right onto Naruto's abdomen; earning a satisfying groan of pain from the blond.

Putting his kunai away, Sasuke stepped back from the ridiculous display in front of him and sighed. Cocking his head to the stairwell, he was unsurprised as another pair of footsteps came barreling down the stairs after them. Shikamaru and Sai tried to skid to a halt as they were abruptly confronted by the pile of people tangled at the bottom of the stairs. Like some kind of sick domino effect, both boys stumbled forward and into the maelstrom of limbs.

"Unbelievable." Tsunade commented as she appeared next to Sasuke. Both observed the embarassing display in unamusement.

"Get off of me, Shikamaru!" Ino screamed as she tried to stand up. "This is madness!"

"My hair!" Sakura shrieked as a chunk of her pink hair tangled itself in Akamaru's collar. "Get it out, Sai!"

"I'm trying!" Sai commented calmly as he fumbled with the collar, but gasped in pain as someone's foot crushed his other hand.

"You are all ridiculou-UNFGH!" Shikamaru tried to say, but was cut short by Akamaru's back paw stepping on his right cheek and slamming his face into the ground.

"OW!"

"Get **OFF**!"

"YOU'RE GETTING ME WET!"

"FUCK THAT HURT!"

*snarl*

"DON'T BITE ME, BITE NARUTO!"

"YOU'RE CRUSHING ME!"

Naruto, who was currently being crushed under the weight of six flailing bodies, caught sight of Tsunade's shoes standing right in front of his face. Glancing up at her scolding face and crossed arms, he spoke up the best he could and with the most pity possible:

"Do _something_! This hurts like - FUCK, Kiba get off of my di-!" He bellowed as an elbow smacked him in the mouth. Tsunade, who merely observed him in pitiless, unimpressed observation, sent Sasuke a bored glance.

"Should we do something?" She asked slowly. Sasuke, who now leaned indifferently with one foot against the wall, simply sighed.

"Is that an official order?" He asked sluggishly.

"If they kill each other, its on my head." She remarked in annoyance as she stepped over the agglomeration of bodies. Sasuke sighed and shoved himself apathetically off of the wall.

Naruto suddenly felt three tons of weight lifted from his chest as Sasuke and Tsunade peeled Sakura and Ino off of him. He sat up on his elbows to find Shikamaru dusting himself off to the side as Sasuke grasped Akamaru's collar and led him away from the pile. Kiba was mumbling obscenities to himself as he pulled his torn shirt back over his head.

"You okay?" Came a voice, and suddenly Naruto was met with the face of Sai staring at him blankly. His head was spinning, and he tried to focus on one of the two Sai's that were currently oscillating in front of him. It wouldn't have mattered that Sai was in front of him, except for the fact that Sai was straddling his hips and peering at him a mere three inches away.

"Y-yeah." He gargled as he held his head in pain. A shadow suddenly descended upon them, and Naruto and Sai both looked up at an obviously irritated Sasuke.

"_What_?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "I'm the one that should be pissed off! I just got bum-rushed by six-"

"Off." Sasuke remarked shortly, and Naruto saw now that he was specifically addressing Sai. Sai, who was currently oblivious as to why the Uchiha was being so hostile, simply looked at his positioning on the blond boys hips, and stood up calmly in understanding as he stood next to Sakura. Naruto considered this a minor infraction, as the relationship between Sasuke and Sai had significantly improved over the last few months.

"Geez." Naruto commented as he held his hand out for Sasuke to pull him up. When the Uchiha merely rolled his eyes and resumed his place on the wall in pure apathy, Naruto mumbled a quick "Fuck you" as he pushed himself into a standing position. It only managed to piss him off even more when the Uchiha smirked at him, indicating that he took it in an entirely different way than Naruto intended it.

As Naruto brushed the dog slobber off of his shirt sleeve, he caught sight of Tsunade, hands on her hips, surveying all of them in irritation.

"Anyone want to tell me what happened here?"

They all glanced at each other momentarily, before a barrage of voices exploded; all trying to explain what had happened and whose fault it was in an eruption of noise. By this time, Hinata and Neji had regrettably entered the building carrying a few scrolls on their clans sealing techniques that needed to be dropped off in the library. When they chanced upon the battered and beaten bodies of their fellow comrades arguing hysterically, they both stopped in total speechlessness. Sasuke merely crossed his arms and closed his eyes as Tsunade massaged her temples, and stepped forward:

"SHUT UP!" She bellowed, and the volume echoed down the hallway.

Silence.

She spoke up:

"_Calmly_ and _rationally_, I want someone to explain to me what happened, why it happened, and how we can prevent it from happening aga-"

"Hokage-Sama!" Came a new voice, and all heads in the room whipped around to the figure who burst into the hallway holding a sheet of paper. Uncrossing her arms, Tsunade turned to face the flustered Shizune.

"What's wrong, Shizune?" Tsunade asked as the room simultaneously waited for her explanation. She was currently supporting herself with her hands on her knees and breathing through labored breaths, indicating that she had just run there. Between breaths, she handed Tsunade the paper and spoke up:

"The test came back earlier than expected. I came as I could."

Suddenly, Tsunade's face went gray with doom as she tore the paper from Shizune and scanned her eyes down the contents of the paper.

Naruto felt his heart race.

He figured that the paper had something to do with the tests that he had been undergoing for the past few months.

Soon after the seal had been placed five months ago, Naruto's body had unexpectedly succumbed to severely painful and debilitating symptoms from an unknown cause. After many weeks of miserable tests and observation, Tsunade determined that Naruto's body had been so used to the constant stream of Kyuubi's chakra, that when it was abruptly cut off from his system, he had suffered very real and legitimate withdrawal symptoms. Even though the raw chakra was killing him, his body had learned to incorporate the chakra anyway, thus causing his body to react violently when it was absent.

Painkillers and narcotics had gotten him through the past few months, but they had been unable to find a cure for the withdrawal symptoms. Sakura had theorized that a definite cure would have had to somehow incorporate some of the Kyuubi's chakra, but since the seal had been activated, there had been no possible way to garner any. Naruto would have been willing to stay on pain killers for the rest of his life, but by Shinobi law, he would have been declared clinically ill, thus preventing him from ever resuming his title as a Shinobi. It meant no more missions, no chance at exams, and no more fighting.

In the last month, however, Tsunade had formulated a theoretical cure that might work, which consisted of a new kind of antibiotic that could work as a substitute for the Kyuubi's chakra if it was injected into the blood stream. The only problem lied in the fact that the substance, which was taken from wild foxes and had similar genetic makeup to the Nine-tailed Fox, ran the risk of being attacked by Naruto's antibodies. These antibodies, if they "considered" the chakra-substitute to be an enemy, wold most likely attack everything in Naruto's body, thus sending Naruto into complete organ failure. The week before, Tsunade had drawn a sample of Naruto's blood to mix with the substance to see how the two reacted. They weren't supposed to get the results back until the following week.

The room watched in grave silence as Tsunade read over the contents. Naruto felt his heart drop, however, when Tsunade covered her hand over her mouth. Naruto's heart aunk as Sakura, who had been heavily involved with developing the cure, tried to choke back the tears that came to her eyes. Naruto didn't dare glance at Sasuke, who currently had his eyes downcast to the floor and hidden by a thick veil of hair.

The others, who waited on bated breath for Tsunade's explanation, looked at each other nervously as she turned around, folded her arms behind her back, and straightened up.

"Naruto, the test results came back. As you know, we combined the cure with a sample of your blood in the hope that there would be no sign of rejection."

Sasuke glanced darkly at Tsunade.

"I am happy to report that there was zero rejection. You start treatment tomorrow."

And with that, Naruto felt a six-ton weight lift off of his shoulder as the bodies of his friends yet again tackled him into the floor, but this time in laughter and happiness. With tears and laughter abounding, Naruto caught a glimpse of Sasuke lean his head back into the wall, and sigh in obvious relief.

"Now you can take the Chuunin exam!" Kiba barked as Ino and Sakura laughed and wiped the tears from their eyes. Sai, who was now in a relationship with Sakura, hugged her from the side. He felt the sandpaper tongue of Akamaru lick the side of his neck, and he glanced at the simple, smiling face of Tsunade as she read the contents of the paper again and again while pressing her fingers to her throat to prevent herself from crying. Past them, he saw Hinata silently wiping tears from her eyes.

Springing to his feet, Naruto appeared in front of Tsunade in a flash and smiled cheekily.

"So does this mean I can start going on missions again?" Naruto asked with big, cobalt puppy-dog eyes. Tsunade smiled to herself, thought for a minute, then looked past him.

"Please, please, _please_?" He begged.

"What do you say, Captain Uchiha? Should Naruto be allowed on missions again?"

All attention turned towards Sasuke, who smirked to himself silently as he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Hn. If the dobe can behave himself. . .I don't see why not."

And with that, Naruto appeared next to Sasuke and hugged him tightly from the side, while Sakura joined him on the left. Amidst all of the cheers, tears, and clapping, Naruto casually leaned into Sasuke's hair and whispered:

"I'll thank you later tonight. If you know what I mean..._teme_." Came the heated whisper, and Naruto pretended not to see the smirk spread across the Uchiha's face.

**(That Evening)**

Naruto perched himself atop the Hokage monument for the trillionth time and categorized all of the colors he could see in the sunset. He was currently somewhere between twenty-two and thirty-three colors, but he was running out of names for most of them. All he knew was that the fiery, powerful reds swam beautifully with the bright, liquid yellows.

"What are you doing?" Came the voice, but Naruto already knew it was Sasuke by the chakra trail. After five months, it was a lot easier to recognize.

"Just watching the sunset." Naruto replied as he rested his head on his knee. Sasuke plopped down next to him and observed the sunset as well, though not with nearly as much wonder. "Ne Sasuke, look how perfectly the red and yellow go together. They don't ever mix. They just work in harmony as two separate beings, creating something so powerful and unrivaled."

"Sometimes they do mix, dobe. They create the orange light."

"Yeah." Naruto commented sleepily, and somehow he knew he wasn't just talking about the sunset. After a few minutes of silent observation, Naruto spoke up:

"Someday, the Kyuubi and I are going to work together as separate beings."

An audible snort followed by a rolling of the eyes prompted Naruto to cast Sasuke a look. When there was no retort, he turned back to the dwindling sunset.

"You wait and see. There will be no more mixing between us. No more orange. We're not good at orange. We're done with orange." Naruto commented, flipping the hair out of his eyes. " But someday, if he's willing to be the red, and I'm willing to be the yellow, then maybe, we'll be more powerful than the sunset."

"You might have to pass the Chuunin exam first."

Naruto sighed.

"You're a dick, you know that? It's a shame that a body so beautiful had to be given such a suck-ass personality." Naruto challenged. Sasuke, who merely smirked to himself, allowed the insult to pass over, mostly because he knew he deserved it. They both fell into another long, blissful silence.

"I believe it." Came the voice of Sasuke after a while, and Naruto held his eyes onto the sunset.

"Hm? Believe what?" He asked sleepily.

"You." Sasuke replied, and Naruto merely turned towards the raven in subtle surprise. After a short minute, though, Naruto simply smiled to himself and turned his gaze back to the liquid sky and spoke up one last time:

"I know."

**(FIN)**

This was the prologue I promised! Sorry I've been so late! If I ever do a sequel to this, I am definitely going to practice the art of planning. Anyway, I hope this lived up to your expectations, and again, I am SO thankful to each and every one of you for sticking with me thus far! The only things that would make me even happier is if you guys would draw pictures for this story. _ (Insert shameless plug.) No really, I love pictures. I would be SO thrilled.

But in all seriousness, I am so happy that I was able to complete this story, and I am so humbled by each and every one of you. I started this in Christmas of 2009, and it has come a long way with me, and I will forever hold this story and all of you in my heart.

I have revised up to chapter five of this story, so if you'd like, you can always go back and read this again! I hope to revise the entire thing by the end of this year!

As Tigger would say, T-T-F-N, Ta-Ta For Now! - DaisyTango


	26. Announcement

You guys asked for it! After many requests and several months of planning, I'm here to officially announce that there will be a sequel to "Cruel Irony." I don't want to say much, but look for the first chapter in the next day or two!

Normally, I'm entirely against sequels of any kind, but I've really thought this over and have developed a (hopefully) believable plotline. Even though I love Cruel Irony, it was the first story I ever wrote, and there is a long list of things that I wish I could change/wish I would have done. It's sequel will be my chance to improve on all of the writing techniques that I wasn't aware of when I first wrote Cruel Irony. I promised that if I did a sequel, I would break it down into chapters before I wrote it, and I've already done that, so hopefully this time it won't take three years to write. (I can promise it won't take three years to write.)

Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. I'm planning to upload the first chapter within the next two days, so make sure you check my profile to look for it, as I haven't solidified a title yet.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing all of you in the near future! Ja ne! - DaisyTango


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